Feint
by Confushi Sushi
Summary: Unusual murders in New York draw the attention of Stargate Command. Are these deaths just a means to an end? Part one of the "Crossover Series". femslash
1. Chapter 1

Title: Feint

Summary: Unusual murders in New York draw the attention of Stargate Command. Are these deaths just a means to an end? Part one of the "Crossover Series"

Rating: M (mainly for some language)

Season: Stargate early season 7, SVU during the last season of Novak (just pretend they both occur in the same calendar year)

Disclaimer: Don't own Stargate or Law and Order. Just having a little fun before I put them back on the shelf.

A/N: This is my first crossover piece for SVU. I am more comfortable with my peeps from the Stargate universe. It is femslash, Sam and Olivia, so you have been warned (the beginnings of the relationship, so nothing explicit). Unlike others, I don't like to post single chapters at a time. I find myself going back often to change something earlier to better fit with how the story is progressing. Also, it's less polished that way. That, and I know the anguish of starting to read a story, and having the author never actually finish it. Hope you enjoy, please r & r to tell me what you think, it makes me happy. All constructive criticism is welcome. I want to hear from you!

I've edited this myself, so any lingering mistakes are my own.

*

Olivia flashed her badge as she ducked under the crime scene tape. She walked over to Elliot, kneeling over the body. The woman lay on her side, dumped haphazardly in the alleyway. Kneeling on the opposite side as Elliot, Olivia examined her face. The woman was Latina, with long black hair streaking down her shiny, and scant, clothing. It screamed prostitute to Olivia.

The burn on the woman's forehead was striking.

"Don't see that every day," Olivia said.

Elliot grunted in agreement. "She also has a cut on the back of her neck here."

Olivia leaned over to look, careful not to disturb the body. The gash was only two inches long, and didn't appear particularly deep. While she wasn't a medical examiner, she had seen enough bodies to figure it wasn't fatal. But what purpose it served—a warning, torture, or simply sadistic pleasure for the perp—she couldn't tell.

"We got an ID?"

"No." Elliot sighed. "There was no purse with the body, and CSU hasn't picked up anything from the dumpsters."

Catching sight of Melinda Warner approaching, Olivia stepped aside so the Medical Examiner could do her job. They exchanged nods as Warner began her cursory examination.

"Body's still in rigor. Judging by temp, I'd say she's been dead no more than twelve hours."

Olivia nodded. "Not killed here."

"No," Warner agreed, "lividity is inconsistent with body position. There's hardly any blood here. The neck wound is superficial. The cut didn't puncture the spine, nor did it sever any nerves or blood vessels, but it still would have been messy. With the trauma to the surrounding tissue, it was definitely pre-mortem. The burn on her forehead is second-degree, not fatal at first glance. I'll have to get her back to learn more."

Letting Warner leave with the body, Olivia looked at Elliot. "Who called it in?"

"Anonymous nine-one-one."

Olivia looked down at her watch, three A.M. It was going to be a long day.

*

They started canvassing the area with the uniforms on scene. Elliot was frustrated with the lack of any leads. No one had seen a strange vehicle, and no one was able to identify the victim. He did get a buzz of fear from many of the people they had talked to. Not fear that there was a dead prostitute in the neighborhood, but something else. He saw the same curious expression in Olivia's face, she felt it too.

Unsure what to make of it, he knew they'd both keep it on the back burner for now.

Just over three hours after arriving on scene, they entered the bullpen. Olivia went straight for the coffee pot, while Elliot leaned on the edge of his desk.

"Get an ID yet?" he asked John Munch.

The taller man shook his head. "Fingerprints just started running. No go on Missing Persons. Probably too early for that route anyway."

"We'll get a hit on prints."

"Working girl, eh?" Munch said.

Olivia nodded, taking another sip of her coffee. "Outfit definitely screamed pro, and a seasoned one at that."

"Such a way with words."

Olivia rolled her eyes at his provocative eye waggle.

"Didn't get anything from the businesses open in the area. No one saw her get dumped. Or at least no one is admitting to it," Elliot said.

Grabbing some coffee of his own, Elliot settled down at his desk. Until they got a hit from the prints, or on something else gathered at the scene, all that remained was paperwork.


	2. Chapter 2

The detectives weren't disappointed. Fingerprints came back to an Alyssa Mendez, thirty-two. Her rap sheet was quite extensive, ranging from breaking and entering all the way to solicitation. She even had a few assaults on some overly enthusiastic Johns who got their just reward. Shortly after identification, Warner called to say she had some findings from her examination. So that's where they went first.

Olivia entered the autopsy room, scanning the body. The white sheet came up to her armpits, revealing a few inches of the Y-incision. Deep bruises on the woman's shoulders were in stark relief to her pale skin. She could easily see the hands that had restrained Alyssa in the pattern.

Most shocking was that Warner had opened up her skull; it was something that still managed to give Olivia a twinge.

"Whatcha got, Doc?" Elliot said. He leaned over to look into the skull, and wrinkled his nose.

"Well, I was one for two. Like I said at the scene, the neck wound wasn't fatal. Autopsy confirmed that she didn't exsanguinate. It was a clean cut, probably from a knife. Her organs show that she was an addict, but that didn't contribute to her death, either."

Olivia interrupted. "What kind of drugs?"

"Cocaine appears to be her drug of choice."

Olivia took the tox report that was offered to her.

"So, what did kill her?" Elliot said.

Warner sighed. "The burn to her forehead was more severe than I thought. Damage to the skin and underlying bone was misleading."

"How so?"

"The brain sustained significantly more damage than her skin." She led the two detectives to the brain on one of the scales. Olivia knew enough to realize the color was off, too dark, and there was a lot of swelling. Also, short of poking it, she got a general sense of "goopiness." Warner continued, frowning. "It's as though the brain tissue was boiled right inside her skull. But it makes no sense."

"Why not?" Olivia said.

"Because," Warner gestured back towards the body, "there should be more damage to the surrounding tissue. Anything that generates enough heat to do this should have been devastating. Her entire face should be severely burned. The skull should have heat fractures."

Warner's obvious frustration made Olivia uncomfortable. It wasn't often she saw Warner so at a loss. She also didn't like the implications of the murder weapon. Having your brain boiled like an egg sounded about as unpleasant as it got. How sick did one have to be to do that to another living creature?

"There's one more thing on the body you might be interested in," Warner said. She lifted the woman's arm, displaying a tattoo just above the inner crease of the elbow. Black ink, no more than two inches long. Thick lines created a rough "W" with triangular points at the intersection and tips. The lines were all slightly different lengths, making it appear childish.

"Boyfriend?" Elliot said.

Warner shook her head. "That's for you guys to figure out."


	3. Chapter 3

Onaman smiled to himself. Seth had had it all wrong. Cults were so boring; nishta took all the fun out of subjugation. He much preferred the fear expressed in these wide-eyed street thugs. It was a real emotion, a raw emotion.

They didn't call him a god, but they treated him like one.

The suit he wore was expensive, fitting him as well as any imperial robe he had ever worn. Onaman enjoyed the opulence of his new host. Many Goa'uld leaned toward gaudy symbols of their powers. Golden temples, golden tapestries, golden ships. The host's home was much more tasteful. Rich fabrics, vibrant colors. Everything was placed with great concern for the objects surrounding it. It wasn't crass, it was powerful.

Already the head of a well-established crime syndicate, it had taken very little to expand their influence. His host was a businessman at heart, and while he had accepted the dirty parts of his organization, he had shied away from them whenever the opportunity presented itself. Onaman, however, wasn't afraid to break a few eggs.

It was a shame that his time here was so short. He had a mission to complete. The woman was just the start, a cog in his wheel. A blip too small to register on the radar. Which was just what he wanted, subtlety was key. He needed to get their attention without shouting. Response would be proportionate to his perceived threat, and his targets were very specific. He didn't want a full military response, just a minor investigation.

Two jaffa from his personal guard, in tasteful suits of their own, dragged the prostitute into the basement. Their foreheads bared the "W" tattoo that branded them to his service.

The woman's clothes were filthy, causing Onaman to wrinkle his nose.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hogan. Things are slow. I just don't have the cash. I promise business will pick up." There was hardly a breath between sentences, the terror making him smile. His host had grown quite a reputation during his short time on Earth.

Onaman replied with human tones, enjoying his little game. "I think... that you are holding out on me."

He nodded, and one of the jaffa pulled out a knife from his belt. In one clean motion he opened up the back of the woman's neck. She screamed, her voice rising several octaves. "Wait! I'll pay it back. With interest! Please, I'm sorry. It will never happen again."

"No," he agreed, raising his hand, the crystal in the ribbon device glowing menacingly, "it won't."

Onaman pushed all his hate into the ribbon device. Energy seared into her skull, the woman's mouth contorted in a silent scream. The power he felt as he took the prostitute's life was heady. In the galaxy he was just a minor Goa'uld, a vassal of Bastet. Among the Tau'ri, he was a king.

Perhaps, when his mission was over, he'd find a way to return.


	4. Chapter 4

After three days, their progress into the case had been dreadfully slow. Forensics had little to offer. While there were signs of sexual activity, nothing pointed to rape, and it had occurred hours prior to death. Talking to Alyssa's parents had revealed little. They rarely had contact with her, and when they did it was for money. Neither could tell where the woman was living or who she hung out with.

They also had never seen the tattoo before.

Canvassing the neighborhood she was found in had been little better. Some people said she might have worked around ninety-first street, others swore they had never saw her. Whatever their story, no one would admit to seeing her within forty-eight hours of her death, or seeing anything suspicious around the dump site. Olivia wondered just what the hell had everyone so afraid.

"This is going nowhere," Elliot said. He stopped the car for the red light. As if the investigation wasn't bad enough, they got to enjoy mid-day traffic.

"They know something."

Elliot nodded, squeezing through into the next lane. "Someone big is involved, and nobody wants to cross him."

"So what," Olivia wondered allowed, "killed by whoever she was working for, or a rival?"

"Maybe a warning. People are terrified to be associated with her."

Olivia's cell phone rang. She answered it gruffly. "Benson." Cragen's voice came over, and she pinched the bridge of her nose as he relayed the salients. "Well, it looks like somebody didn't get the warning."

"Another one?" Elliot eyed her in disbelief.

"Sixteenth and Trent."

*

The new scene was a mirror of the first. Ignoring time of day, and the fact that this victim was African-American, she may as well have been dumped in the same alleyway. Her hair was a golden brown, tied up in a ponytail consisting of dozens of small braids. Again, the clothing screamed prostitute.

Elliot took one look at the burn on the woman's forehead and shook his head. "Just what the hell is going on here?"

He looked around the alley as Olivia kneeled down. The location was very low traffic, and this far in there wasn't much to see from the outside. Her deep sigh brought his attention back to the body.

"Same cut on the back of her neck."

Wearing gloves, she peeled back the dead woman's sleeve slightly. It barely went below her elbows, making it easy to peek. They were greeted by the same tattoo in the same location.

"Definitely not a coincidence," Olivia said.

Elliot only nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam sat at the workbench in her lab, safely nestled deep in the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain. She tapped on the laptop, updating the dialing program. It ignored several protocols the Stargate emitted, so she was working to remedy that as much as possible. There were still many protocols that they didn't know the purpose of, and many beyond those that they hadn't even discovered yet. But, at least it was a start.

After the near-destruction of Katau due to her ignorance, Sam had to do something.

Boots marched restlessly down the hallway outside. Without seeing the owner, she knew who it was, and that he was indeed restless. Colonel Jack O'Neill was rarely on base and NOT bored out of his mind. It was about as rare for him to be bored out of his mind and NOT bugging her or Daniel.

He rounded the corner, entering her lab, and Sam braced herself for the game. It had become a ritual for her or Daniel to ignore his presence. In turn, it was Jack's express mission to garner their attention. So when he leaned up against the table, causing the smallest of vibrations, she ignored him. He sniffed once, clearing some irritant from his nose.

Sam continued to tap away on the code, merely blinking as she heard Jack's hand rustle in his pocket. It was a tell-tale sound, and she had to force herself not to smirk. Reactions only egged him on. Just as she predicted, the soft whir of the yo-yo sang in the air. The blur of motion was visible in the corner of her eye.

When he started to "walk the dog" Sam nearly jumped at the sound of plastic scraping against concrete. Even without looking at him, she could imagine Jack biting his lip in intense concentration. He went through several more tricks, and it was only when Sam realized she had read the same line five times already, and was no closer to understanding it, that she knew she was breaking. Breathing deeply, she typed out a few more commands.

The movement stopped suddenly, and Sam had to fight her own instinct to freeze as well. He scented her wavering will, she knew he did. Fearful of his next plan of attack, she forced her fingers to keep moving across the keyboard. Jack strolled out of her field of vision. Confident he could no longer see her face, Sam bit her lip in her own attempt at concentration.

Humming. So softly she felt her ears strain to pick it up. Random tunes, many she couldn't put a name to. Finally he settled on one, getting just a little louder. She knew the song, she just couldn't quite place it. And when her brain turned away from code in an attempt to identify the music, she had to bite back a frustrated sigh.

If she turned around on the stool now, he'd have a huge grin on his face. She just knew it.

It was all Sam could do to keep herself typing. Pride kept her going, even though she was pretty sure that whatever she was putting on the screen was complete gibberish. Her hands shook ever so slightly.

Jack started to sing. "We're tiny, we're toony, we're all a little loony."

Sam snorted, unable to stop the unseemly chuckle. It was just too fitting.

"Ah, ah!" Jack rushed forward, waving his finger pointedly in the air. Claiming his victory.

"Good God." Sam wheezed, overcome by the laughter she had been holding back. She curled up, covering her face as she recovered.

When she finally looked up at him, gasping only slightly, he smiled innocently. Sam glared.

"What?" he said.

She tried to go for annoyed, but was failing miserably to bite back her own smile. "Don't you have paperwork, sir?"

"When don't I, Carter?"

"Then why are you here?" Stupid question, she knew.

"Because," he rolled his eyes, finding the answer as obvious as she did, "I have paperwork."

Sam shook her head, eyeing the computer screen in front of her. Something told her she may as well start this section over from scratch.

The phone in her lab rang, interrupting her sulking. Sam crossed the room in easy strides. "Carter."

"Major, we have a potential situation up in New York. I need SG-1 in the briefing room in fifteen." General Hammond's voice told her he believed the problem was genuine.

"Yes, sir. Colonel O'Neill is with me."

"Good. Bring the others up with you."

"On our way." Sam hung up the phone. When she turned around, Jack eyed her quizzically. Sam shrugged. "Something's up."

"Of course it is."

*

Teal'c entered the briefing room last, with Doctor Janet Fraiser, as his quarters were furthest away. Sam nodded in greeting, watching as he sat on the opposite side of the large table, with Daniel. Janet sat down in the seat next to Sam.

General Hammond acknowledged them all with a curt nod of his own. He slid files over for them to pass around. Hammond leaned forward in his seat, clasping his hands. "Since we have had Gould hiding on Earth before, a group has been set up to scan through various criminal reports, looking for anything suggestive." Hammond mispronounced "Goa'uld" as many others did. "Clearly this can't, and won't, catch everything, but it's a start. These are the first case files that have merited a closer look."

Sam had started scanning through them when Jack piped in. "Two dead hookers?"

"The manner in which they were killed is highly suggestive," Hammond said.

"To say the least," Daniel agreed. His brow furrowed as he studied the file. "Burn on the forehead, incision on the back of the neck."

Teal'c broke in. "The tattoos upon their forearms appear to be similar to the symbols on the Stargate."

"Or a tipsy 'W'." Jack said. He turned the file sideways as he spoke, studying the mark.

It didn't feel right to Sam. "All these entry wounds... just how many symbiotes are we dealing with?"

Janet shook her head, studying the file. It was several moments before she spoke. "Probably no more than the one performing these killings. The wounds are too clean. There's no damage around the brain stem to indicate a symbiote was ever inside these people. Plus there's no exit wound. I don't think we have another Steveston on our hands."

Sam was relieved to hear they weren't looking at another zombie town. Once had been plenty for her.

"Couldn't they have been overlooked?" Hammond said.

Her head shook again. "These autopsies are quite thorough. If there were any abrasions or the like inside the victims' mouths, I don't believe it would have been overlooked."

"So let's say we do believe this is the act of a Gould," Jack began.

Daniel interrupted. "At the very least someone with some pretty detailed knowledge about them."

"Or that." Jack glared pointedly at Daniel before continuing. "It's just a tad much, don'tcha think?"

"How do you mean?" Janet said.

"Well, a ribbon device burn, gash on the neck eerily similar to what those snakes leave behind, and an obscure tattoo. Whoever did this is going out of their way to get noticed, wouldn't you say?"

Sam had to admit he had a point. One similarity could be coincidence. Two could be luck. Three was just overkill. So, what was the reason behind it all?

Teal'c posited an explanation. "Perhaps like Hathor, this Goa'uld has only recently been unearthed."

"Being in the middle of a city, it must know enough to realize that we don't worship them anymore. And even if it believed we knew nothing about the Stargate, this is pretty elaborate." Daniel looked at Teal'c while he ran through the inconsistencies.

Sam frowned. "A trap?"

"Earth is a Protected Planet," Daniel said.

"Yeah," Jack scoffed. "We know how well that's worked for us in the past."

"Trap or not, it needs to be checked out. I can pull some strings, get you in to look at the evidence first-hand. Verify our suspicions, then we'll deal with jurisdictional claims."


	6. Chapter 6

It wasn't every day two Air Force officers, followed by two civilians in suits, strolled across the bullpen. The room went silent except for the clicking of shoes and the creaking of chairs. Olivia followed suit with every other detective, warily eyeing the visitors that passed through towards Captain Cragen's office.

The two civilians were both men. One was tall and black, well over six feet tall, wearing a dark fedora even though he was indoors. What she could see under the hat proved that the man's head was clean-shaven. The white man was significantly shorter, but not short in his own right. His hair was a light shade of brown, not much longer than a standard military cut. The glasses projected a sense of innocence.

The officers were a man and a woman, their caps tucked neatly under their arms. Olivia guessed the man to be the superior, his salt and pepper brown hair adding several years to the woman beside him. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, with a close-cropped mop of blonde. Intrigued, Olivia's gaze lingered, taking in the curves of her uniform. The woman's form was powerful, suggesting someone who was active. Their gaze met for a brief moment, and Olivia thought she saw a hint of amusement on the other woman's face. The moment was so short, Olivia wasn't sure if the woman had looked at her at all.

They entered Cragen's office, and Olivia's gaze lingered.

"Liv?" She shook her head at Elliot's continued call, busting through the fog. Turning to face him, Olivia inwardly cringed at the smirk on his lips.

"What?"

"See something you like?"

Olivia felt the heat start rising in her face. "No! Jesus, El."

"I think Mr. Glasses was checking you out."

"Really?" Olivia's shock came from the fact that he hadn't caught her ogling the woman, rather than any interest in who the other man had been looking at. She gave a silent thanks to whatever deity that had looked out for her, and cleared the lump out of her throat. "You think?"

His brow shot up, and Olivia felt the shock of fear that ran through her. Elliot clearly noticed something wasn't jiving.

"Benson! Stabler!" Cragen's call saved her from further embarrassment.

It was a tight squeeze to cram everyone into the small room. Olivia was wedged in tightly between Elliot and the large man. He looked down at her, nodding his head slightly in greeting. She managed to choke out a weak "hi" in reply.

Cragen stood behind his desk, appearing mildly claustrophobic. He started greetings by gesturing to his detectives. "Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler." Then he motioned through each of their guests. "Colonel Jack O'Neill." Next the woman. "Major Samantha Carter." Mr. Glasses. "Doctor Daniel Jackson." And the giant. "Teal'c."

Nods and brief greetings were exchanged. Olivia managed not to stare, more curious about what brought these people to their precinct. Cragen continued. "They've been sent here to examine evidence to your prostitute serial."

"What?" The exclamation was nearly synchronous between Olivia and Elliot. She shook her head, eyeing Cragen dubiously. "Why?"

His eyes narrowed. "Because, I gave them permission. I know their commanding officer, and if Hammond wants them to look at the case, he's got a good reason for it. Now, I expect you two to cooperate. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Olivia said dryly. Cragen gave her a warning glare for her tone.

"Go show them whatever they want to see."

*

Sam followed Detective Benson down to the morgue to view the bodies for herself while the others looked at what evidence there was and got a general sense of where the detectives were leaning. The tension was thick in the air as they walked. It was clear that the other woman resented her presence, and while Sam could understand her feelings of being trampled on, she certainly didn't like the response.

Olivia walked in front, and made no attempt at conversation. If that's how she wanted it, then Sam would oblige. Given the role of follower, she took the opportunity to study the detective. Olivia's hair was brown, hanging nearly to her shoulders. They were about the same height, and if the clipped gait they were going at was any indication, equal parts stubborn. The leather jacket suited her, Sam thought. It hugged her torso in all the right ways, even hung open like it now was. It also screamed "don't mess with me," which Sam found entirely fitting for a police officer.

And, if she were prone to dwell on such feelings, it was kind of hot.

The fact that she was being an ass only made her more interesting, and Sam had to wonder what was wrong with her at that thought. Because being treated like this was not her idea of a good time. As a cop in sex crimes, Olivia must have good people skills. Sam wondered if she would get a chance to see them for herself.

It was just the two of them on the elevator, both facing forward and not looking at each other, and Sam was tiring of the silent treatment. "So absolutely no witnesses have come forward?"

"Not one." Olivia's curt tone had Sam pinching the bridge of her nose. For some reason, she wanted to get on this other woman's good side, despite the fact that they had just met. She sighed.

"Look, we're not here to step on toes."

"Then why are you here?" Olivia said. She turned to face Sam, a challenge in her eyes. Sam's eyes widened slightly as she saw knowledge; Olivia knew they were going to try to take the case. And, Sam mused somberly, unless some unexpected turn came to allay all of their fears, they would.

Something told Sam the threat that an alien might be running around wouldn't be enough to dissuade the other woman, even if she were inclined to believe it. A realization that only made her respect for Olivia grow. Since she couldn't even broach that excuse in the first place, it was up to her own devices for an answer.

"To confirm our suspicions." When in doubt, stick with vague.

Olivia nearly pounced on her. "You know who did this? Why didn't you just tell us?"

They reached their floor, and Sam stepped out to give herself some space from the almost feral detective. "No, we don't know." Silently she added, _not exactly._

"I don't get why the Air Force would have any interest in this case. What do two dead pros have to do with national security?" Olivia wasn't entirely swayed.

_More than you know._ Sam gave a tight smile. "Hopefully, nothing. Really, I have no interest to try to do your job for you."

Her doubt must have shown through. "But you will."


	7. Chapter 7

Entering the hotel room where the others waited, Sam tossed her cover on the bed before sitting heavily beside it. Dealing with the resentment at the precinct had been tiring. Noting Jack's frazzled expression, and the slight crimp in Teal'c's brow, she realized they had fared little better.

"Maybe it's the uniform." Jack tugged at the dress colors, reminding Sam of a kid on picture day. "Makes me irritable, and I'm the one wearing it."

Sam had to agree, she'd much prefer to be traipsing around in her well-worn BDUs. Military protocol expected otherwise. "Well, sir, with it being an official matter, I don't think business casual would go over very well."

"I don't know, Carter, you've never seen me rock a cardigan."

"We're trying to get them to take us seriously, Jack, not paralyze them with your horrid fashion sense," Daniel said.

"They're distinguished," Jack countered.

"Yeah, if you're over seventy."

"Hey, Teal'c resents that!"

To express that resentment, Teal'c raised a curious eyebrow.

Sam doused her own amusement with impatience. "As enlightening as this is, I think we have better things to discuss."

Jack sulked, muttering something about Fashion Nazis.

Daniel started. "Their evidence is sparse. The only conclusion that can be made is that whoever is responsible has everyone too afraid to talk. No one is coming forward."

"Sounds Gouldy to me."

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed with Jack. "A Goa'uld would quickly insert himself into a position of power over others."

"What did you find out in the morgue, Sam?" Daniel said.

Just what they had suspected. "The burns were from a hand device. There's no doubt."

Which meant they were in this for the long haul. While Cragen had been willing to play ball up to this point, she doubted his cooperation extended to simply handing the case over. Certainly his detectives wouldn't stand for it. Thinking of the imminent shit storm started the dull thud of an approaching headache.

Jack's tone echoed her sentiments. "I'll call Hammond."


	8. Chapter 8

Olivia collapsed into her desk chair, muscles rigid with frustration. The military was poking their noses into an investigation that had no obvious ties to them, and were less than forthcoming about explaining their interest. Talking with the Major had only confirmed her growing suspicions; they were going to try to edge in on her case. She wanted to be angry at the woman, but Sam had seemed genuinely apologetic. She came off as honest and loyal, and Olivia figured if she had kept pushing, Sam wouldn't hesitate to push back.

A voice inside of her wished for Sam to do just that.

She felt heat start rising in her cheeks at the thought. Olivia shook her head, trying to dislodge the thought. Their case was threatened, she reminded herself.

"You ok?" Elliot said. His face softened with concern.

"Yeah... No. I'm just trying to figure out what their deal is."

"Maybe they're thinking about a career change. Our flexible hours and generous wages are hard to resist." Flexible hours being seemingly never ending overtime and the dubious pleasure of having a case fall in your lap when you were actually off duty. The generous wages were equally as enticing. Olivia was more focused on the fact that he believed her. Probably because she really was trying to figure them out, among other things. And she should really stop thinking before her brain found a way to twist that around.

"Something tells me that might not be it."

"Well," Elliot was serious this time, "they do know something. And whatever it is they don't want to share."

"You'd think a few dead bodies would make them a little more eager to play ball."

Elliot just shook his head, equally frustrated. Their bitching was interrupted by the heated sound of Cragen in his office. They both looked over, unable to see anything through the closed blinds. Whoever was on the other side of the phone did not have good news.

"Dad doesn't look happy," Elliot said.

Olivia turned back to her desk, angrily sifting through a sea of paperwork she needed to work on. "What do you want to bet it's our new friends about the case?"

*

Jack had had a point earlier, Sam certainly felt better outside of the confines of her dress uniform. They had all cut back the attire as formal wear wasn't conducive to actually working. However, a comfortable pair of civilian clothes, just a step above what she'd classify as casual, didn't quite even out against the hostility Sam felt from all of the detectives in the bullpen. Much like her beloved Air Force, these people closed ranks to stand as one. Sam didn't like knowing that such solidarity was aimed at her and her team.

Though most went back to their work, she could still feel the eyes glaring at her as they worked the phones or juggled paperwork.

She noticed Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler were both at their desks, not even pretending to be busy. The coldness in their gaze made it perfectly clear that their captain had already broken the news. Sam turned her head away from the intensity of it, chewing absently on her bottom lip.

The arrangement wasn't ideal for either party. Hammond had tried the soft sell with Cragen, but the police captain would not give up all claims to the case. They could take it over, but that involved going through channels. Bureaucratic red tape would stall them, not to mention formal opposition from Cragen. In the interest of saving time Hammond didn't want to waste, they settled on a joint investigation. With the current lack of progress the police were having in locating their suspect, Sam wondered if it really mattered.

Cragen retained control, but her team would be actively involved in all aspects of the investigation. So, they had to figure out how to "cooperate" and still keep classified information out of civilian hands when they caught up to the Goa'uld.

The door to Cragen's office opened brusquely, getting their attention. His face steeled with annoyance, but he only pointed in their direction and beckoned them over with a curt signal. Sam felt like she was being called into the principal's office. She followed the others into the small room. Squeezing through, the Captain shut the door behind them.

"Let's get one thing straight right now: do not play with me."

Despite his street clothes, Jack aired professionalism. "We have no intention of the kind, Captain."

"George has never steered me wrong before, and he's promised your full cooperation, within the scope of anything that isn't confidential. So I'm going to ask once and leave it at that, are there any new insights or understanding you can contribute to this case?"

"Within the scope of anything that isn't confidential, no, sir," Jack replied.

"Ok." Cragen nodded his head slightly, and Jack returned it. It was as much of a bone as they could throw Cragen, and he realized it. Jack as much as admitted that they did know something. "Benson and Stabler aren't happy about this."

"So we noticed," Daniel said, interrupting.

Cragen eyed Daniel, causing the archaeologist to shut his mouth and stiffen slightly. "And frankly, neither am I. But they will cooperate, because no one wants to jeopardize closing this case."

*

Detective Fulson grabbed the phone on his desk. No one noticed him dial, why would they? They spent most of their days on the phone—to witnesses, to agencies, to other cops—so the act didn't even register. The line rang only once.

"Speak," the voice said.

"They're here."


	9. Chapter 9

Olivia eyed the murder board again, focusing on the facts of the case instead of her anger. The others were huddled around her, taking in the same information. And now her anger was directed at the fact that they had so little.

"No witness reports. No missing persons." Elliot thought aloud. "No one who wants any association with the victims."

Sam spoke up. "The dump sites and where they... worked," she fumbled for an appropriate euphemism, "weren't anywhere near each other?"

"No." Olivia bit back her hostility, drawing out a breath. Fresh eyes never hurt. "It's scattered. No DNA at the scenes except for the victim, and nothing to narrow down a possible transport vehicle."

The smaller man, Daniel, stepped forward. Olivia watched him study the board. Something caught his attention, causing him to peer intently through his glasses. "Your notes mentioned the possibility that she was killed by an employer. Who owns this area?"

"Mostly small-timers," Elliot said. "Free agents, if you will. Do have a family owned business in there. Hustling money from the pushers and pros that are in the area. Lead by Victor Hogan. Not big on violence, and never suspected in any murders."

Olivia watched as the four glanced at each other. She saw a flash of realization pass between them, though the black man, Teal'c, hid it well. She fixed them with a glare. "They did it."

Teal'c spoke, and since Olivia had never heard him before, it seemed to carry an extra weight. "It is highly probable."

"We've got no evidence to go after them with a warrant, which is why we haven't gotten anywhere with them yet. What makes you so sure?"

The Colonel played it off. "Call it a hunch."

And while she was at it, Olivia would call herself the Queen of England.

When Sam excused herself from the bullpen, Olivia followed her. She stalked her quarry into the bathroom, grabbing the other woman's shoulder as she crossed the tiles. Sam neatly twisted out of her grasp, this officer clearly had some practical training. Maybe if she weren't so damn angry, she'd have some begrudging respect.

"What the hell?" Sam said. They both realized how close they were standing at the same time, and quickly took a step back. Sam looked just as flustered as she was.

Olivia shot back with her own question. "What do you know?"

Sam's gaze flicked to the stalls, confirming they didn't have an audience. She sighed. "We've told you everything we can."

"You haven't told us shit."

"I don't know any more than you do right now."

Their voices echoed loudly as tempers flared. "You know who did this."

"No," Sam snapped. Her blue eyes flared with frustration. "Nothing definitive. Like the Colonel said, it's just a hunch."

"And this hunch is classified?" Olivia didn't see how it could be.

"Yes. Let's just say this Hogan fits the type."

"Just what type is that?"

Sam gave a dry smile, finding some sad humor in her own thoughts. "Pre-established power base."

Olivia shook her head. She'd ask for an elaboration, but the look in Sam's eye told her that's all she would get. Sam's gaze flitted towards the stalls.

"Now, if you're finished..."

With a final sigh, Olivia turned and left. In the hallway she received stares from detectives and various people who were milling about. She quickened her pace back to the bullpen, mortified to realize their heated argument wasn't as private as she had hoped. Embarrassed heat raised in her cheeks despite herself.

When she reentered the bullpen Elliot was seated at his desk. She saw the others still talking at the murder board. Wordlessly, she slipped by her own partner to her own desk.

"Guess it shouldn't be surprising you have a thing for blondes."

He spoke so matter of factly that it took Olivia several moments to process the sentence. When she did, her head snapped up. She was mortified, and all she could do was look at him with her mouth slightly agape.

Smiling now, Elliot continued. "Can't blame you though, she is easy on the eyes."

"Shut up."

Elliot raised his eyebrows suggestively, and left it at that. If anyone were to notice her interest in someone, it would be him. They had been partners longer than anyone else in the unit. Though, if she were being honest, Elliot had had her pretty well pegged early on. When had she ever been able to hide anything from him?

"Yo, Liv!" Odafin Tutuola's voice carried across the structured chaos of the bullpen. When she looked over, Fin continued. "Got a call here from some guy says he knows about the hooker killings. Wants to speak with whoever's handling the case."

Olivia nodded. "Patch him over." Sam and the others from the Air Force made their way over, giving her an expected look, which Elliot shared. Quirking her head slightly in a "we'll see" manner, Olivia picked up the phone after the first ring. "Detective Benson."

"You're investigating the hookers?" a male voice asked. He sounded young, still in his teens.

"Me and my partner, yes."

He sounded nervous, jittery. "They picked up another one. Might be able to stop 'em if you're quick."

"Where?" Olivia picked up a pen from her desk.

"Restaurant went out of business on twelfth. Aledo's. Waiting for the big man to come. You can get her if you come first."

"What's your name?"

"Just come. They ain't gonna keep her forever."

"Hold on!" Olivia didn't quite finish before she heard dial tone. She looked at the others. "Wouldn't give a name. Says the next vic is being held at an old restaurant on twelfth, and they're waiting for the 'big man' to come before they kill her."

"Hogan?" Daniel asked.

Elliot looked thoughtful. "In the right place. Can get the local precinct to block it off, keep anyone from getting close until we get there. Far enough back to keep from spooking whoever's inside."

"What about a warrant? We don't really have much to go on, an anonymous tip." Olivia was concerned, because they didn't really have time to try to convince a judge.

"We'll have one by the time we get there," Sam said.

Olivia's eyes widened. Maybe these military guys had a use after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam closed her phone as they pulled in at the perimeter, receiving the go-ahead from Hammond. "We're covered."

Olivia and Elliot flashed their badges, and the uniforms gave them a nod as they walked past the barricades. They put on bullet proof vests as they walked towards the abandoned building. Sam pulled out her Beretta, feeling the comfortable weight in her hand. It was no P90, but this was no normal mission, either.

Olivia dropped back a couple steps to fall in beside Sam. She smirked as she held her own sidearm with practiced skill. "Know how to use that thing?"

Amused, Sam chambered the first round. "I think I get the general idea."

Teal'c and Elliot broke ahead. Sam watched them crouch below the lifeless window, testing the door. Teal'c's small nod back to them told her all she needed to know, it was open. They picked up the pace.

When everyone was by the door, Elliot started a silent count. On his mark they burst through the door. The dining room was open, dusty tables littering the floor with upturned chairs ringing the tops. The only light filtered in through the windows. Fanning out, they crossed the dining room as a single unit, sweeping their guns as they checked for anyone who may be hiding.

Sam reached the kitchen door first. She could see light filtering through the porthole window, and was relieved to know there may actually be something to the tip after all. Standing there, she felt the tingle travel over her skin, heralding the presence of nearby Goa'uld. With Teal'c no longer carrying one, she knew the feeling was coming from the other side of the door.

She locked eyes with Jack, nodding her head. He returned the gesture, their years together allowing a basic understanding. Daniel and Teal'c also noticed. As they prepared to enter the kitchen, Sam wondered how they were going to keep the two detectives out of things. They'd have to hope for the best, and deal with any breaches as they came.

Jack slithered up the door, taking a quick peek through the window before ducking back down. Looking at the others he motioned that there were two suspects on the other side. With another silent count, they burst through the swinging doors. Six guns trained on the two men in business suits. Despite their clothing, Sam knew they were jaffa even without the tingle she felt from the Goa'ulds in their stomachs. Both had tattoos on their foreheads of the same "W" symbol as the prostitutes.

Six guns trained on them in a chorus of "Freeze!" and "Don't move!"

Without a moments hesitation a woman was thrust between the jaffa and the guns. Her short skirt had ridden up in her struggles to reveal her underwear, and furrows had been cleaved through her makeup by her tears. She was still crying, begging incoherently. The jaffa backed up slowly, a knife held to the woman's throat.

"Let her go and put your hands in the air," Elliot said.

Instead of obeying, the one with the knife merely smiled malevolently, and drew the blade across the woman's throat. Before an open shot presented itself, both jaffa had jumped down a trap door. Sam could hear the echo of their footsteps as they took off down some underground passage.

Elliot reached the woman first, clamping his hand down on the vicious gash. Sam winced as she stopped at the trap door, knowing the cut would be fatal.

The drop down was about ten feet, and the walls seemed to emit a soft glow. She was shocked to see the crystals that the Tok'ra grew to house their underground bases.

Two officers entered the kitchen, and Elliot immediately yelled. "Get a bus!"

Teal'c jumped into the tunnels first, landing with a grace that belied his size. He scanned ahead with a flashlight. "The area is secure."

They each slipped down in turn, leaving Elliot to care for the woman. Sam was the last one in. The tunnel only went in one direction out from the kitchen, but she could see it started to branch further on.

"Don't see this everyday," Olivia said. She stared at the walls curiously. Sam only shrugged, hoping the crystal formation wouldn't cause too many questions. The fact that they existed made Sam certain they'd have far bigger problems.

"Carter, stay with Benson," Jack ordered. His tone made it clear she was expected to watch the other woman, and try to keep her out of the way.

"Yes, sir," Sam said.

When they got to the branch, Jack and the others went straight while Sam took Olivia through the opening to the left. They had no way to tell which direction the jaffa had gone. Guns first, they stalked down the hallway.

In the confined space their footsteps echoed softly. Up ahead the tunnel turned right. They neared the corner, and Sam felt it.

"Wait!" she hissed.

Olivia had already peered around, finding a target and aiming her gun at it. She edged further out from the corner. "Police!"

Sam looked to see the slightly heavyset man standing in the hallway, not one of their jaffa. To Olivia, he appeared unarmed, save a smile. Knowing what to look for, Sam saw the glint of the ribbon device over his neatly pressed suit.

"Going to shoot me?" he asked, speaking with the host's voice.

Olivia's voice showed she was not amused by his smugness. "Turn around and put your hands up."

"Of course."

Sam rushed forward, pushing Olivia against the opposite wall. The Goa'uld raised his hand, the crystal on the ribbon device glowing menacingly. An energy wave shot out, rippling the air. Sam crushed against Olivia's frame, and she started to roll to hug the wall herself. There wasn't enough time, though, and she felt the force strike her shoulder. She felt herself spin, the grazing blow more than enough to slam her against the wall behind her. Her head slammed against a crystal with a sickening crack, and she fell to the ground in a boneless heap.

It was all she could do to keep conscious.

"Holy shit." Sam heard Olivia's shocked explanation, followed by half a clip of ammunition. Even with her eyes tightly closed in a conscious will to keep her head in one piece, Sam knew they would be ineffective. The sound of the bullets ricocheting off of the personal energy shield only confirmed it. "What the fuck?"

"Run," Sam blurted, her lunch trying to escape with the single word. Her skull throbbed with every beat of her heart. "Get the others."

"Yes, run away," the Goa'uld said with a laugh, still using the host's voice, "and I will kill her where she lies."

Sam wanted to insist that he was bluffing, if only to get the other woman to move. At that moment her stomach won the battle, and she vomited all over the ground. The violence of the first heave ripped away her consciousness.

*

Teal'c took point, scanning the hallway with sharp eyes. He'd much prefer the balance of a sturdy staff weapon to the smaller firearm, but it would have been a mistake to consider him any less lethal without it. They moved like a single entity down the corridor. Years as a team had made such things second nature.

Turning several bends had revealed nothing. Teal'c had always thought highly of the narrow tunnels that the Tok'ra employed, they were extremely defensible against larger forces. Now he was annoyed, because the design worked against them. Between each corner they were vulnerable to attack.

As if reading his mind, a bright flash went off behind them. The telltale metallic clunk of Asgard beaming technology had them all turning as one. The jaffa, wearing the usual metal body armor instead of a business suit, squeezed off a shot from his zat before they managed to return fire. Teal'c watched the energy snake into Daniel, felling him to the ground.

Combined fire took down the jaffa before he could fire again. However, Teal'c heard the sound of another zat blast from behind, turning sharply as Jack collapsed. He shot at the jaffa, in a suit, but the warrior had the advantage of the corner to hide behind. With nowhere to go, Teal'c soon went down with his comrades.


	11. Chapter 11

The woman died in Elliot's arms long before any paramedics had arrived. He had known it was futile, but couldn't stop himself from trying.

When she was gone, he pulled his sidearm back out of its holster. Waving the two uniforms over, he dropped down into the tunnels. How they were lit without any signs of a light source, he couldn't understand, and didn't bother to spare it another thought. Elliot set a brisk pace, eating up the distance with long strides.

When the tunnel split off into two directions, he struck left. It continued straight nearly a hundred feet. The corner was sharp, and when he reached it there was no one laying in wait on the other side. All he saw was smeared blood on the wall and floor, a puddle of vomit, and two discarded guns. The smell hung heavy in the air.

"Damn it," he hissed.

Continuing down the hallway revealed an exit into a subway access shaft. Peering through, he saw a ladder to the street above. The manhole cover was firmly in place. He didn't think that they had gone through it, but it had to be checked out.

His radio refused to work in the tunnels, which was hardly surprising, so he pointed to two of the officers. "Go up there, let 'em know that our suspects may have taken to the streets. Possibly with hostages."

The remaining uniform followed Elliot back into the tunnel, continuing down the long hallway. He found three more guns, and finding that the tunnel looped back upon itself. He was at a loss. While there was no way to confirm it, Elliot was sure that the guns belonged to Olivia and the others. And he was also sure that there would be no sign of where they went.

How then, did you take five hostages onto the street in broad daylight, and not get noticed?

*

Olivia had always prided herself with being able to keep her cool under dicey situations. Her current predicament, however, had her thrown for a loss. That man had just stood there as she fired, and not one damn bullet had hit him. A faint orange curtain had rippled with each shot, and she simply didn't know what to make of it. She was equally at a loss to explain how he had flung Sam into the wall with a simple wave of his hand.

Between that, and the blinding flash of light that had changed her venue, Olivia figured it was perfectly reasonable if her cool had decided to take a break.

She hadn't run when Sam had told her to. A voice in her head had insisted it was pointless; he could just do to her what he had done to Sam. And there was no doubt in her mind that he was perfectly capable, and quite willing, to kill. So she couldn't make herself leave Sam there like that.

Wherever she was now—assuming she wasn't in the middle of some sort of psychotic break and hallucinating everything—had golden walls, and black floors that sucked in light like obsidian. Two men in heavy metal body armor escorted her down the hallway, one with Sam's unconscious form draped over his shoulder. Their foreheads bore the same tattoo that they found on the dead women, and Olivia mused that it was a ridiculous place to get a tattoo. Her nerves made her want to laugh at the absurdity, but it didn't seem like a very good idea.

An odd staff, inscribed with intricate patterns, was shoved roughly into her back when she wasn't moving fast enough. Olivia stumbled a few steps from the force. She turned her head and fixed him a look, but took the hint. They turned down the corridor.

"Stop," the jaffa said. She watched him step to the wall where there was a pad with six buttons on it. If she knew better, she'd say the symbols looked a lot like hieroglyphics. He pressed a sequence of buttons, and a section of the wall slid away. It revealed a moderate sized room, with Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and Daniel Jackson inside. They lay in unconscious heaps... at least she hoped that they were just unconscious. Loitering earned her another prod, and Olivia reluctantly entered. Before she could react Sam was dumped on the floor beside her, the door sliding shut with a heavy _thump_.

The first thing Olivia did was roll Sam flat on her back. Fortunately, she seemed to be breathing ok. Her pulse could be stronger, but at least it was there. She turned Sam's head and examined the wound. The blood was still tacky, but it had stopped bleeding on its own. Remembering how Sam had thrown up and been unconscious since, Olivia had no doubt she had a concussion.

Olivia felt the enormity of the situation begin to pierce through her shock. She was a prisoner, a hostage, of some crazy Halloween freaks that could do things she had no way to explain. And the walls were so golden, so bright, she just wanted to bash them in while screaming at the top of her lungs. Tears started pricking at the backs of her eyes. Olivia kept them from pouring forth, purely out of pride.

She needed to keep busy, so she moved over to where the guys lay in the middle of the room. Teal'c was closest, so she stopped at him. His hat was gone, and Olivia paused as she saw the tattoo on his forehead. Like the others, and yet entirely different. It was raised, golden in color, and a completely different symbol. Two ovals, one inside the other, surrounded a wriggling serpent. The outer oval was open at the top, the lines tapering off rather than ending abruptly.

At least, she thought, that explained the hat.

Her fingers went to his neck to feel for a pulse. As soon as she made contact, Teal'c's large hand shot out and grabbed her arm just behind the wrist. "Let go!" she screamed in shock, jumping back and trying to pull away. All she managed to do was wrench her shoulder.

His eyes opened, and took in Olivia in her half-standing position. Her eyes were opened wide, pulse racing and breaths coming in ragged gasps. With just a little more pressure he could really hurt her, and Olivia wasn't entirely certain he wouldn't.

"Detective Benson," he said after a few moments, recognition dawning on his face. When Teal'c let go of her arm, Olivia took several steps back, almost to the wall. She cradled the limb, surprised to have gotten it back so easily. Teal'c rose fluidly to a sitting position, bowing his head in contrition. "Please forgive me, I hope I have not caused you harm."

Her eyes narrowed skeptically as she idly rubbed at her wrist. "I'll live."

"Oye!" Jack rolled onto his back as he grabbed his head. "Will NEVER get used to that."

"Are you injured, O'Neill?" Teal'c said. Olivia simply watched the interaction.

"Ya think?" Teal'c's gaze hardened, and though Jack wasn't looking at him, he shrunk away from the impatient expression. "I'm fine."

"You two have to be so loud?" Daniel groaned as he sat up beside the others.

"Wouldn't want to offend your delicate sensibilities, now would we?" Jack rolled his eyes. His gaze roamed the room, taking in Olivia as she stared back, and Sam lying beside the door. He winced, looking at the clot of blood in her blonde hair. "How is she?"

Olivia was at a loss for words. They were joking, perfectly calm, and yet she could see that they were all on guard, studying their surroundings. It was as though they found this situation to be perfectly normal, whatever this situation was.

And just how did she explain what had happened without sounding like a moron? "Um, this guy did something and she flew into the wall and cracked her head. She was conscious for a moment, and then she threw up."

If Sam hadn't acted, she'd be the one unconscious on the floor. Or worse.

"Ouch," Jack said.

The three of them got up. Jack and Daniel went to Sam, while Teal'c stood at the door. Though there was nothing to grab onto, he tested its strength. And found it to be sound.

Olivia shook her head. "What the hell is wrong with you guys?"

Three heads looked over at her in unison. Daniel spoke. "Excuse me?"

"You're acting like this is normal. This is NOT normal. Actually, it can't be real, so who cares how you're acting."

But her shoulder throbbed dully, and she was starting to tremble from the shock.

Jack clasped her shoulders without Olivia realizing he had even moved. "Detective." The command in his voice had her standing up straight. His eyes showed sympathy mixed with authority. "This is a lot to take in, I know. But it's very real. I'm not going to explain it all right now, because that's more Carter's thing and it's a long story. All you really need to know is that we're prisoners, and those guys we were after are card-carrying members of the Intergalactic Badass Association. So, you need to keep calm, and be ready to get the hell out of here the first chance that comes."

Olivia just nodded her head slowly, not sure what else to do.


	12. Chapter 12

Elliot stormed out of the restaurant. "Any news?"

"No one saw anything on the street. Only people came out of the access shaft were the two unis," Fin said.

Overcome with frustration, Elliot punched the side of the building. With the blood coating his hands and sleeves, it was a powerful sight. "Where the fuck is she, Fin?"

Fin raised his hands in a calming gesture, taking a cautious step back. Everyone was used to dealing with an angry Elliot. You had to be light on your feet. "Practically every cop on the island is looking. We'll find 'em."

*

Pain lapped at her like roiling water. Sam tried to push herself further into unconsciousness, but she couldn't get deep enough to escape it completely. The pain grabbed her, dragging her back towards the surface. She fought, but it was stronger.

"That's it, Carter."

Sam whimpered, wondering why anyone would encourage her back into the throbbing in her skull. It consumed her, threatening to shatter her head into a million pieces. She curled onto her side, eyes squeezed shut and hands clamped to her head.

"Say something, Major."

Somehow she bit back the first thing that came to mind. "Oh boy."

Talking made the throbbing worse. She struggled to keep breathing steadily.

"You took a nasty bump there." Jack's voice was soft. Sam was thankful for his consideration.

"Yes, sir." Her reply was equally quiet, trying to minimize the echoes in her own skull.

"Concussion."

She hadn't even opened her eyes, and had no desire to, but she had no doubt about her condition. "Yes, sir."

A hand grazed the back of her head, and Sam flinched away. The sudden movement was a very bad idea, making her gasp. Now the hand was rubbing her shoulder.

"Ready to open your eyes?"

"No." But she did anyway. Sam knew she didn't have the luxury to lie around whimpering. Even though she started tentatively, the stab of light had her shut her eyes again instantly. It took several tries before she could keep them open.

Jack held up some fingers. "Do I need to ask how many?"

She was fairly certain no one had that many fingers on one hand. "Do I need to tell?"

He smiled tightly. Sam took as good a look at her surroundings as she could without moving. The glimmering walls were very telling. Very Goa'uld.

"Ship?"

"Indeed," Teal'c replied.

"Ship?" Olivia's voice parroted from behind her. "What do you mean ship?"

Sam had forgotten about the other woman, and cursed the fact that she had been involved. Jack helped her to sit against the wall, and Sam tried not to dwell on how the room was spinning around her.

Daniel fielded the question. "A space ship. The people that took us are aliens."

"Aliens? No. No way." Olivia shook her head. "They don't look alien."

"They are," Teal'c insisted. "The Goa'uld are parasites, they reside within a host and take control of their body. They crave domination and power above all else."

Olivia was clearly not convinced, and she laughed nervously. "So I guess this is what you couldn't tell us?"

"She's quick. I like that." Jack smiled good-naturedly. And really, Sam had to admit, she was handling herself pretty well. It was understandable that she was in disbelief, but at least Olivia was coherent and functioning.

Sam closed her eyes for a moment. "What do we know?"

"Apart from this being an elaborate trap? Well... there is no apart." Jack shrugged.

Eventually, six jaffa came and escorted them out of the room. Jack and Daniel supported Sam while she fought to stay conscious with every step. They were taken to the bridge, and Sam noticed they were on an Al'kesh. With cloaking technology, she assumed, since the Prometheus wasn't in pursuit.

And, knowing their luck, there was nothing back on Earth to tell Hammond they weren't even on the planet anymore.

Olivia stared out of the view port, slack jawed. They were passing Saturn, the dark velvet of space crowded with stars. A burst of color masked the stars, and Sam immediately recognized the hyperspace window before them. Olivia managed a gasp. The ship shuddered momentarily as they transitioned into hyperspace. Sam would have fallen without Jack and Daniel supporting her, and Teal'c kept Olivia from face-planting with a swift hand on her shoulder.

"Jesus," Olivia said.

"I thought it was prudent to wait until we were out of your vessel's sensor range to initiate hyper launch." The modulated voice came from behind them, filled with smugness. When she turned with Jack and Daniel, she saw the overweight man from the tunnels, only this time in a flowing dark green robe rather than a business suit. Two more jaffa flanked him.

Jack let go of Sam and took a step forward. "You know, I don't think we've met. Miss Manners would be very upset."

"Yes, how unseemly of me." The Goa'uld was clearly amused. "I am Onaman, though your planet's law enforcement would know me as Victor Hogan. At least, he has been mine for several weeks now."

"Yeah? How's that working out for ya?"

"I found the experience most interesting. But enough formalities. You are now the property of Our Lady Bastet."

Jack gave a little curtsey. "Honored, I'm sure." The jaffa beside Jack hit him in the stomach, forcing him to double over.

This time when Onaman smiled, it was as a wolf baring its fangs. "The honor is all mine. I will take great pleasure in breaking you."


	13. Chapter 13

Onaman, Hogan—she wasn't sure what to call him—kept Jack while the rest were taken back to their prison. Olivia sat against the wall, trying to process what was going on. Ships, space, aliens, it was all just too surreal. What she had seen out of the window couldn't have been real. How could they not be on Earth anymore?

Sam sat a couple feet away, slouched against the corner. "I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

"You knew this was going to happen?" Olivia wasn't sure if she was asking or stating.

"No, not like this. We thought we were dealing with some sort of renegade, not one of the System Lords."

She turned towards Sam. "System Lords?"

Sam closed her eyes. "The System Lords are powerful Goa'uld who command armies. They're fighting each other all the time for more territory. There was no reason to believe the Goa'uld on Earth was affiliated with anyone, or had means to leave Earth."

"This is all crazy, you know."

"Yeah."

"Where did they come from?"

"Thousands of years ago they were on Earth. They used a device, called the Stargate, that could transport matter to any other planet that had a Stargate to take slaves for their domains. During the time of the Egyptians there was an uprising and the 'gate was buried, keeping the Goa'uld from coming back." Sam paused a moment to give Olivia time for it to sink in. "We found the Stargate, learned what it did, and started to explore planets all over the galaxy. The Goa'uld consider us a threat."

With so much to take in, Olivia grasped on a small part she could handle. "You've been to other planets?"

"Yeah." Sam smiled. "There's a lot more out there than just these guys."

"And I guess you're only telling me this because we're as good as dead."

"No." The confidence in Sam's voice was sincere, making Olivia believe; at least that it was possible. "We've gotten out of some pretty tight spots before."

*

"How far away is Bastet's domain?" Daniel asked. He paced in a tight line, unable to keep still knowing that Jack was being tortured. Sam had fallen asleep while talking to Olivia, and the detective simply sat staring at the floor.

Teal'c looked up from where he sat. "It will take several days for a standard Al'kesh to traverse the distance."

"We need to escape before we arrive."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "Escape will be much more difficult upon a fortified planet."

Daniel couldn't believe that the Goa'uld had gone through so much trouble, and risked so much just to capture the four of them. "Why would they breach the Protected Planets Treaty just for us? I know we've pissed them off pretty consistently the last seven years, but why stop there?"

"Much of the System Lord's resources are committed to holding back Anubis' armies. Perhaps Bastet could not afford to send an attacking force. She may also fear Asgard reprisal, since she does not possess the enhanced shielding or weaponry that Anubis does. Perhaps she is wagering that this incursion will not be deemed worthy of a response."

Daniel just shook his head. While it came as no surprise that they were wanted so highly by the Goa'uld, it didn't make it any more bearable to be caught.

They were brought some food and water. Food was a loose description of the ubiquitous slop in the bowl, but it was something. Daniel put in a tentative finger and tasted.

"Oh, that's awful!" And while his face contorted into a frown, it did fill a hole. He took one more bite before deciding that was enough for now.

Olivia eyed him dubiously as she came forward. "That's not very encouraging." She stood for several moments just pondering the sludge at her feet. Finally she broke down and took a bite. Her face took on a pained expression as she swallowed.

"It is no worse than your MREs," Teal'c said. He ate a scoop without as much as a grimace.

Daniel shook his head. "At least those vaguely resemble food, even if they taste nothing like it." He glanced over to Sam. "Probably about time we woke her up anyway, give her some water if nothing else."

Kneeling down beside her, Daniel grabbed Sam's shoulder and gently shook. After a few moments she tried to shrug aside his hand and frowned, but made no move to wake up. Daniel shook a little harder. "Sam?"

Her eyes slid open, and she blinked several times. "What?" Sam looked around blankly, frowning, before recognition finally dawned. "Daniel?"

"How do you feel?"

She took a breath. "Like a middle school band is practicing in my head."

Daniel smiled, holding up the pitcher of water. "Thirsty?" She nodded slightly, and he helped her take a couple sips. "Hungry?"

"No." Sam's reply was immediate and emphatic.

"Wise decision," Olivia commended her.

Sam gave a tired smile. "That bad, huh?"

"I've never had anything that gray that didn't taste like cardboard," Olivia said. "Which is something I never thought I'd miss."

Sam's brow knitted in concentration. "Colonel still gone?"

"Yeah, been a couple hours now." Which was hardly surprising. They'd done this song and dance before. Sam just nodded.

There wasn't anything else to say, so they just waited.


	14. Chapter 14

As the hand device disengaged, the rigid muscles that held Jack in his kneeling position slacked, and he slumped in the arms of the two jaffa that held him. He wondered how long Onaman had been torturing him so far, and how much longer he could keep the Goa'uld's attention away from the others.

"Have I yet to burn through the legendary O'Neill sarcasm?"

He looked up at Onaman. "Still kicking."

"Excellent. I was afraid you would prove your reputation to be severely lacking."

"Can't have that, now."

Onaman smiled. "We know your planet has designed ships capable of space flight. Tell me of their capabilities and compliments."

"Well, they can make the Kessel run in under twelve parsecs. Fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy."

"Parsecs are a measurement of distance, O'Neill, not speed." Onaman laughed. "And I highly doubt that Han Solo is a member of your fleet. My host has knowledge of your popular culture, do not forget."

"Dilithium crystal power core. A full compliment of proton torpedoes." Jack tried channeling Star Trek instead. Onaman only shook his head in amusement. "Can't blame a girl for trying."

"I expect no less. And now this is where I cause you more pain for your insolence."

Onaman raised his hand once more, and Jack fought back the cries. For a little while.

*

When General Hammond received the news that SG-1 was missing, as well as one of the detectives, he took control of the scene immediately. They were dealing with something bigger than they had initially thought. It wasn't the first time SG-1 had been late to make contact, and it wouldn't be the first time that meant trouble.

He sent SG-5 to work the scene and find some clue of SG-1's whereabouts. They had made a preliminary report, citing Tok'ra tunnels beneath the restaurant. And nothing inside the tunnels to suggest how they had gotten out. A ring device would have at least given them somewhere to start.

Someone had posited Asgard beaming technology. Anubis had access to it, and other System Lords may have been able to steal it from him. Hammond had requested Prometheus to do a full sweep around the planet, but no ship had been found. If they were indeed taken from Earth, there was no way to tell who was responsible or where they were going.

*

Elliot burst into Cragen's office without warning. Even though he was furious, he managed to shut the door before he let loose.

"You let them kick us off?"

Cragen was standing, his face equally hard. "I did no such thing. They went over our heads, spouting national security."

Elliot slapped his hands against Cragen's desk. "Olivia is captured by some murdering madman, if she's not dead already, and you expect me to just stand back and let the government handle it?"

"Step back, detective!" his harsh words silenced Elliot momentarily. "I am not your enemy here, Elliot. I've been on the phone since they pushed us out. The Chief of Ds doesn't want to risk an incident over such an inconsequential case."

"Bullshit!"

Cragen raised his hand, and Elliot stopped mid outburst. "I haven't stopped trying. I'm just as pissed as you are. Now, I've spoken with Novak, and she's looking for any legal actions we can take. I've even tried calling General Hammond, but he's too damn busy to take my call."

Hearing the Captain's anger made Elliot feel a little better. At least he knew he wasn't alone in this. "So I'm just supposed to sit on my hands until Novak finds some loophole that might not even exist?"

"At this point, I can't formally authorize any action." Cragen's tight smile told Elliot all he needed to know, He had his authorization. Informally.

Elliot smiled back. "I understand, Cap."

He made it to the garage before Fin flagged him down, slowing to a stop as he caught up. "Hold up."

"What do you want?" Elliot said.

"Going with you."

"I'm off the books, Fin."

"And you ain't Liv's only friend here. Munch is juggling our caseload."

Elliot smirked. "And how is it he's not the one chasing me down?"

"He lost the coin toss." Fin slid into the passenger seat.


	15. Chapter 15

It seemed that whenever Sam managed to close her eyes to get some rest, someone was poking at her. All she wanted was the bliss of unconsciousness to hide from the pounding in her head for a little while. Everyone else seemed to have other plans. Trying to ignore it only made them more insistent.

"I promise I'm still seeing double, now will you leave me alone?"

She wasn't expecting Olivia to be the one to respond. "Just making sure you're ok. You know, concussion and all."

Sam was doing ok, all things considered. Despite being on the hard ground, her head had found something soft to lay on. Her reasoning was dulled by the injury, but Sam eventually realized that Olivia's voce had been too close. Snapping her eyes open revealed the rest of Olivia's leg stretching out before her.

She sat up so fast that her head was spinning. Ignoring it, Sam slid back a few inches.

"God, I'm sorry." Sam stuttered. As she looked around, she noticed all the others were looking at her. Jack was nursing himself on the opposite wall, but he still managed a teasing smirk. Daniel also had a look on his face. Teal'c at least had the decency to hide it, but she knew he was also entertained by her outburst.

Olivia was more understanding. "Nothing to apologize for. Besides, I'm sure it was a lot better than trying to sleep on the floor."

"Yeah." Sam didn't dare look at her. If she didn't have an audience, she may have been content to stay there a while.

"It's cute. Really." Jack grinned widely, which contrasted oddly with the angry burn from the ribbon device.

Both Sam and Olivia turned the same shade of red as his forehead.

*

Elliot and Fin walked into the local precinct that handled the area around the restaurant. If anyone had information on Victor Hogan and his people, they would. The desk sergeant watched as they approached.

"Detectives." He greeted them even before they flashed their badges. Elliot took his gold star out anyway.

"I'm Detective Stabler, and this is Detective Tutuola from the One-Six. We're looking for background on a Victor Hogan and associates."

The sergeant smiled. "You'd want Lieutenant Adams. He's up in his office." After making a call up to the lieutenant, he nodded back towards the bullpen.

"Appreciate it," Fin said.

They walked up and found the small office. A middle aged man with a square chin and thinning scalp sat behind the desk. Upon seeing them, he stood up and went to the door. He gave a small smile and offered his hand. "Stabler and Tutuola?"

"Yes, sir." Elliot took the offered hand, giving it a quick shake. They went into the office and shut the door. "Glad you could see us."

"Things have been abuzz since you cordoned off Aledo's. I must say I'm quite interested to hear what's going on down there."

Fin gave a wry smile. "So would we. Feds pulled us out before we could get any answers."

"Don't know how you expect me to help."

"Actually, we're interested in what you have on Victor Hogan. We suspect he's involved with the investigation." Elliot sat down when the Lieutenant gestured to the guest chairs, taking his own seat.

"Might be he is." Adams pulled out a file from his desk. "Things have been pretty hectic in his territory the last five or six weeks. Nothing tangible. Some key players in the drug game have gone missing, and people on the street are all acting spooked."

"From what I've read, Hogan tends to shy away from violence," Elliot said.

"Yeah, he likes to use cash to plug his leaks. Worked pretty well for him, too. But the cons that have disappeared are all ones who refused to give him a cut. We don't have any bodies, or complaining next of kin, so there's really not much we can do to investigate the matter."

"Yeah, we know how that goes." Fin shook his head in sympathy.

"Is there anyone that's talking?" Elliot asked.

Adams shook his head. "Not since the crackdown in the organization. No one's willing to cross Hogan for fear he'd go after them next. We're chasing crumbs out here."

He had one more question for the Lieutenant. "What can you tell us about Hogan's usual haunts?"

*

As Olivia dozed in the corner, she was amazed that she had started to accept their current situation. The idea that she was a prisoner of aliens was quite amazing, but it did make sense. How could their captors have gotten away from the perimeter of cops if not through some crazy technology and a spaceship? She couldn't imagine Elliot being so close by and not being able to find a trace of them. He was nothing if not relentless.

She didn't understand it all, not by far. That didn't stop her from knowing they were in a lot of trouble. When Jack had come back he had a burn just like the dead women. The only real difference was that he was still alive. A short while later the jaffa had come back, beckoning Teal'c this time. It was becoming less of a shock each time she saw them.

Olivia thought of their talk of escape, and wondered just how they expected to pull it off. Perhaps if she wasn't so ignorant about the situation, she could see it too. But all she saw was that they were outnumbered by these guys, and unarmed.

Eyes still closed, she gave a little laugh. "So you guys have really done this before?"

"Ain't our first rodeo," Jack said.

"I guess I'm in good hands then."

He seemed to ponder it a moment. "You could do worse."

She smiled, opening her eyes and looking at him across the room. Despite the humor in his tone, she saw that he was completely serious. This man clearly had some interesting contradictions about him. It had been less than a day, and she already knew he was a strong leader.

"What exactly does this thing want?" And, Olivia thought, how did she figure into it?

"Information they can use to attack us or the allies we've made," Daniel said.

Information Olivia didn't have. She feared what that would mean for her. Jack must have noticed the anxiety on her face. "Don't worry, we'll look out for you."

The sentiment was oddly comforting, having come from a fellow prisoner.


	16. Chapter 16

Cragen and Novak were getting nowhere with the Air Force. Rationally, Elliot knew they were doing everything legally possible, but it didn't stop him from being very angry. He wanted to know what was going on. More importantly, he wanted to know what had happened to Olivia.

They couldn't get information from the scene, but he had gotten some useful bits from Lieutenant Adams. The man had mentioned a less advertised property owned by Hogan where they believed he performed his illegal transactions. It was just a ratty apartment in a rundown building.

And while Novak was losing the battle with the government, she had managed to pull together enough probable cause to get him a search warrant.

One day had passed, but Elliot was hopeful as he took to the stairs, Fin close behind. At least now they were able to do something. With any luck, it wouldn't all be moot.

The landlord opened the door and left, clearly uninterested in anything they might find. It suited Elliot just fine. He had his gun drawn, knowing Fin had already done the same. Clearing a scene was second-hand. And with an apartment as small as this, it was quick. No one hid in the small closet by the door, or behind the faded couch in the living room that Elliot was fairly certain came with the place. The kitchen barely had enough room for someone to stand, let alone hide. Passing the bathroom revealed a rusted tub with no curtain, and no threats.

"Smells like decomp," Fin said. Elliot nodded, the putrid scent got stronger as they approached the bedroom door. He pulled a face, then opened the door.

In the middle of the bed, lying on top of the blankets, was a very juicy corpse wearing thick robes of purple and red with gold trim. Elliot could barely tell that it had been male, the face was rotten beyond any possible recognition. The neck was turned at a violent angle that told him the neck had been broken. Fin called it in, requesting the Crime Scene Unit.

As Elliot took in the body, he saw the robe had various designs on it he couldn't identify. However, he did recognize one: the awkward "W" brazen across the chest.

Fin saw where Elliot was looking. "This is some fucked up shit, man."

*

They were resisting his interrogation so far. Onaman wasn't surprised, many had been in his position before. Even Apophis, with the Blood of Sokar and a memory recall device, had met heavy resistance. He enjoyed the challenge, but he also wished to have something to present to Bastet when he arrived, other than just his prisoners.

Daniel Jackson stood before him, restrained by two jaffa.

"Perhaps you will be more cooperative than your friends."

"No." Daniel shook his head, appearing thoughtful. "I don't think so."

"We'll see what you think in a little bit."

Onaman raised his hand. He would enjoy this as much as he had Colonel O'Neill and the shol'va Teal'c.


	17. Chapter 17

Elliot and Fin entered the morgue several hours after finding the corpse. Elliot was anxious to learn what Warner had found out, and it had taken all of Fin's coaxing to keep him from coming down sooner. Warner needed time to do her thing, and she wouldn't have been able to do it with him hovering.

She gave him an icy stare as he entered the room. "You really need to stop bringing me these things."

"Clock is ticking. I don't have time to get my ass reamed."

"I know." Warner sighed. "I want you to find Olivia as much as anyone."

"So what's the deal with this guy?" Fin asked.

"Managed to salvage a couple fingerprints, but nothing's come up from that. Our John Doe appears to be in his mid forties, and was in excellent health. A little too good, which I'm not sure what to make of."

"Too good how?" Elliot said.

"The organs don't show the usual wear that comes from natural aging. Just from them I'd put him in his late twenties to early thirties. And as unusual as that is, it's not the most puzzling thing I've found." Warner looked at Elliot almost as though it was his fault this corpse was so strange.

"I'm listening."

"COD was a broken neck at the C-3 vertebra." She turned the neck, pointed to a faded scar along the back of the neck. It was identical to the wounds on the prostitutes. "The wound is completely healed, and at least several years old. What makes it strange is when I did an x-ray, I found damage around the brain stem and in the surrounding muscular tissue. There's a pocket in there, as though something was implanted in the back of his neck, and the muscles healed around it."

Warner showed them the x-ray on the nearby screen. Elliot could make out how the area seemed to bulge out slightly, but he'd have to take her word on it.

Fin's eyes narrowed. "What was implanted?"

"I have no clue. Whatever it was had already been removed. Probably through this wound in the back of the soft palate." Warner opened up the corpse's mouth and angled the overhead light. The jagged wound went deep, and there were accompanying lacerations on the top of the mouth and the tongue.

"Why would you cut through someone's mouth to get to something in their head?" It seemed simpler to Elliot just to cut open the back of the neck like someone had the first time. And something dawned on him. "The women had the same thing in their head?"

"No. The other victims only had a cut on their neck, like someone went at them with a knife. There was no sign of other trauma, and no wounds in their mouths. As for cutting through this man's mouth, they didn't. The wound is too jagged for a knife, as is the scar on the back of his neck. Also, the tears in the tissue come out into the mouth. Whatever made them was coming out, not going in."

Elliot's eyes widened. "This is what they're after. Whatever it is."

Fin didn't follow. "What are you going on about?"

"The Air Force. Whatever this is evidence of is what they're trying to keep under wraps."

"If we don't even know what this means, how can you be so sure?" Fin asked.

"Because why else would the Air Force care about some dead hookers? And they were faked. The cuts were just similar enough to register, and the mark on his clothes isn't a coincidence. The burns probably mean something too. Someone wanted them to pay attention, to come in on this."

Which meant that whoever had captured them probably didn't care about Olivia one way or the other. She had just been in the way.

Fin shook his head. "You're saying this all was a trap?"

"Seems pretty over-the-top," Warner said.

"It's the only thing that's making any sense."

"Man, Munch has it bad enough with conspiracies." Fin winced. "When he hears this we're never gonna get him to shut up."

*

Several hours passed between when the jaffa had returned Daniel and returned for Sam. She was awake at the time, and thankful they wouldn't have to test their captors' patience trying to wake her up. It was a shock, however, when they wanted Olivia to come as well. Fear played on Olivia's face, and Sam couldn't think of anything to reassure the other woman.

Their guards made Olivia support Sam. She considered it a vast improvement when her head merely throbbed from the exertion, rather than trying to knock her out with each step.

When they arrived back on the bridge, Onaman greeted them with an evil smile. "Major Carter. I have been waiting to pick your brain."

Without knowing what his plan was, she didn't want to provoke him. Sam merely stared back defiantly.

"Such a hero," he commended. "I hope your injuries are not too severe?"

Sam scowled. "I'll live."

"For the time being, at least. Bastet has ordered you all to be delivered alive."

Onaman walked forward, and shoved Sam roughly to the ground. Olivia cried out an objection as he grabbed her roughly by the coat and slammed her against the wall.

"Let her go!" Sam demanded. She started to get up, but one of the jaffa shoved her back down with his staff weapon. Onaman raised his ribbon device, assaulting Olivia with its energy. "Stop it!"

Sam couldn't tell how long she was made to watch. When he finally stopped, Olivia collapsed to her hands and knees, trembling. She moaned, but seemed unable to make stronger vocalizations of her pain.

"With your injury, I do not want to risk killing you. She was meant to die in the tunnels, but you interfered. So I altered my strategy. While it is imperative that you live, Bastet does not care what fate the detective meets." Onaman's cool veneer cracked to reveal deadly purpose. "I suggest, Major Carter, that you give me a reason to keep her alive."

His brow creased with impatience. Sam's heart pounded as she raced to think of something to protect Olivia. He continued. "Tell me the code to your Stargate's iris."

"No." There was no way she could give that up. It hurt to speak the simple word.

"Where are the Tok'ra currently based?"

"I can't."

"The Tau'ri have constructed a secondary base on another planet. What are its coordinates?"

"I can't!" Tears trailed down Sam's cheeks.

"I see you need more persuasion. As you wish."

Onaman pulled Olivia up to her knees, and started again.


	18. Chapter 18

Elliot and Fin hadn't even left the morgue when several airmen came down the hall escorting a large man with general's stars and a petite red-headed major. The general was bald, showing all the creases age and command had bestowed. Elliot's gaze was defiant, and the general's stare was just as strong.

He spoke in a thick southern drawl. "You will cease all examinations of this body, as it is now under the purview of the United States Air Force."

"You can't do this," Elliot said.

"I just did, son. You've been told to leave this case alone."

"I'm not leaving anything alone until I find Detective Benson."

"My best people are on this, Detective. We need you to let us do our job."

Elliot looked into the general's eyes, and saw the same stubbornness that Cragen showed when he refused to bend another inch to his detectives' demands. "You're General Hammond, aren't you."

"Yes, I am."

"You screwed us!"

Hammond shook his head. "This situation is far beyond you, Detective. I had no intention of going over your head, but things are more complex than you know. I want to find my people as badly as you want to find your partner. I promise you, I'm using every resource at my disposal."

He could tell Hammond was being sincere. Elliot nodded. "I'll hold you to it."

The General offered his hand, and Elliot took it.

*

When the civilians had been escorted out to sign confidentiality agreements, Hammond turned to Doctor Fraiser. "What do we have here, Doctor?"

She put on a pair of latex gloves and examined the entry scar, as well as the wounds in the mouth. "He was definitely a host, sir."

"So our Gould switched hosts to blend in?"

Fraiser shrugged. "Quicker than starting from scratch. Find someone powerful enough, but not too noticeable, and take over."

Hammond shook his head. "They're not on Earth, anymore. We'll collect his clothes from evidence and see what the Tok'ra can tell us."

*

Olivia was still alive. Sam wasn't able to tell Onaman anything he asked, but he had decided not to kill her yet. Probably because he would lose the leverage the woman offered. For now, he sent them back to recover, and ponder their fates.

One jaffa held Sam by her shoulder. His grip was loose, and she noticed his staff was held weakly as well. The jaffa expected no trouble from her. To keep that impression, Sam exaggerated the sway her dizziness caused. The one escorting Olivia appeared equally unprepared.

As they neared the cell, Sam took a glance behind her. Both ways of the corridor were clear. Hopefully, Olivia was together enough to help, but this was the best chance they had. Her sight was still blurry, so Sam closed her eyes and focused on touch. Grabbing the wrist on her shoulder as though to keep balance, Sam stripped the zat gun that was holstered there. Spinning, she pulled out of the jaffa's grip and shot him before he could react.

The other jaffa turned, his reaction dulled by surprise. He started to bring up his staff to fire, but Olivia grabbed the weapon with both hands and shoved him against the wall. The weapon clattered to the ground as both were dazed. Sam pulled Olivia away so she was no longer touching the jaffa and then fired two shots into him, killing him. She turned and shot the other one again for good measure.

Spinning had ruined her balance, and Sam gripped the wall to keep from falling down. "Whoa." Adrenaline made her head throb worse than ever. Olivia was gasping beside her, eyes wide from the sudden excitement. She stared at the control panel, but the buttons started dancing around the wall. "I can't see straight, can you open the door?"

Sam told Olivia the combination, and soon she heard the panel slide away. The guys were out of the room instantly, having gone to the door at the first sound of the struggle.

"Way to go." Jack clapped Sam on the back as he moved past to grab one of the discarded staffs.

"Huh?" Olivia asked as Sam pushed her zat into the other woman's hands.

"The way my head's spinning I'm as likely to shoot one of you as the jaffa. Squeeze the plate to shoot. One shot stuns, a second will kill."

With one hand gripping the other staff weapon, Teal'c wrapped the other around Sam's shoulder and helped her walk.

"We'll take the bridge, then work from there," Jack said.

An Al'kesh could carry over a hundred jaffa, but what they had seen suggested there were less than ten. It explained why the halls were so empty, and that they met no one on their way to the bridge. The door was left open, and Jack snuck to the edge and took a quick peek inside. He turned back to the rest, indicating that there were two jaffa inside.

Teal'c left Sam leaning against the wall, pushing up to where Jack and Daniel crouched. He motioned for Olivia to stay back. Sam watched her cop training take over as she scanned the hallway in both directions.

Caught completely off guard, the jaffa were dispatched with a few quick shots. They all entered the bridge. Teal'c guarded the door while the rest went to the controls.

"Let's turn this bucket around," Jack insisted.

Sam shook her head. "Everyone's going to notice when we drop out of hyperspace."

"Well, I don't wanna get any closer to where we're going than we already are."

"Yeah, I'm with Jack on this one," Daniel said.

She agreed, but just had to remind them of the fact. "Yes, sir." Sam managed to grab the blue control crystal on the second attempt, and twisted it a quarter turn. The kaleidoscope of hyperspace dissolved, and they were once again surrounded by a blanket of stars. Entering new coordinates required more finesse than she currently possessed. She stepped aside so Daniel could work, and fed him the coordinates back to Earth.

As they reentered hyperspace, Jack hefted the staff weapon. "Remember the Alamo."


	19. Chapter 19

Jacob Carter descended the ramp of the Stargate, stopping at the bottom to shake Hammond's hand. The worry for his daughter was evident on his face. "Still no word?"

"None, Jacob," Hammond said. They continued talking as they walked up the stairs to the briefing room. "I take it you have information from the image of the robes we sent."

"Yes. The symbol is used by a minor Goa'uld named Onaman. He's in service to the System Lord Bastet." They stopped in front of the large table, but neither sat down. "Onaman hasn't been seen in the court for nearly two months. We were never able to learn where he went or why."

"I guess now we know."

Jacob turned to look at the Stargate through the window. "We're keeping an extra ear to the ground for any information. Bastet's palace is heavily guarded. She's always been paranoid, even for a Goa'uld."

"Hopefully it won't come to that."

*

Two jaffa fired at the door to the bridge from opposite sides. Jack took a quick shot at one before dipping back behind the safety of the bulkhead. They traded shots, not amounting to much more than a standoff. A scan of the ship found that there were only three other life signs beyond the two jaffa pinning them. The odds were much better than he could have hoped for.

Teal'c skirted the corner, firing a couple blasts at the other jaffa. The warrior ducked behind the bulkhead, avoiding the shots.

"How long are we supposed to stay holed up in here?" Daniel asked.

Jack fired a few more blasts, almost hitting his mark. "Until one of us falls down. I'm hoping it's gonna be them."

"Well this isn't amounting to much."

"It isn't called attrition for its snappy resolution."

Between shots, Jack took in their position. Sam was sitting against the pedestal with the controls. She looked steadier than before, but couldn't be sure if that would hold when she stood up again. Despite their combined injuries, Sam and Olivia had managed to overpower two jaffa. His second never ceased to amaze him, but the cop deserved respect as well. She was thrust into a situation she only dreamed of in sci-fi and still managed to be productive.

The object of his consideration was pacing by the view port. Only two people could defend the door without simply providing more targets to hit, so there really wasn't anything else for her to do. Daniel was seated against the wall a few feet away from Jack, restless.

He wasn't exactly thrilled with the situation, either. Lord knew Jack's knees weren't fond of all the crouching, but there wasn't anything to be done about it. At least they were no longer locked in a room. Trapped, but not locked. And they had weapons.

Weapons always made him feel better.

Teal'c's shot finally hit its mark, and the jaffa cried out as he fell to the floor. Jack stopped firing when he heard the jaffa on his side take off down the corridor.

Jack turned to Daniel. "Better?"

"When we're out of immediate danger."

Jack got up, stretching out the cramps in his legs. They were that much closer to being out of this mess.

When the ship suddenly lurched, Jack fell on his ass. He heard the others exclaim as they were tossed around. Teal'c managed to keep on his feet, but then he always seemed to have an insane sense of balance. An alarm toned from the control panel.

"What the hell was that?"

Teal'c rushed over to the controls. "The hyperdrive and sublight engines are offline."

Jack sighed. Things never stayed simple. "What did they do?"

"Probably removed the crystals in the engine room," Sam said as Olivia helped her to her feet.

"So now we have to come to them," Daniel said.

"Or sit here until we starve. Either or," Jack replied.

"Someone has to stay here, keep them from retaking Command," Sam insisted.

He didn't want them splitting up, not when everyone wasn't at peak form. Dragging Sam around the ship in her present condition wasn't that appealing, either. Maybe it would be safer to keep her where she was.

"Carter," Jack began, "you can disable the door behind us, right?"


	20. Chapter 20

Olivia sat against the wall beside Sam. The door was sealed so it couldn't be opened from the control panel on the outside, so she just had to listen for anyone trying to bust through. All there was left to do was wait to see how things played out with the others in the engine room. Olivia turned the zat gun in her hand, thinking it looked more like a child's toy than an actual weapon. The name was pretty ridiculous too. But she had seen Sam used it, and it had been effective.

A supercharged taser, she figured.

She looked out into the stars, and was able to marvel at them for the first time. The other times she had been in this room Olivia had other more pressing things on her mind. There were so many of them, with various sizes and brightness, but all with equal clarity. She never had a view like this in the city. There it was a wonder if you could see stars at all. Olivia got up and walked to the view port for a better look.

"Doesn't get old," Sam said. She gave a little laugh. "I'd get a better look myself, but stars and double vision don't go together very well."

No, Olivia thought, they probably didn't. It wasn't helping her headache at all, but it was worth it. When would she ever get another chance like this?

"I guess you have a pretty exciting job. Getting kidnapped by aliens."

"Ample paperwork and busywork punctuated by abject terror. Actually, most of the time nothing goes wrong, but when it does it pulls out all the stops."

Olivia shook her head. It didn't sound that different from her job. The time she spent chasing perps down the street was vastly outweighed by the time spent filling out reports and canvassing for witnesses. Not quite as exotic as what Sam must see, though.

Sam's next words were not what Olivia expected. "You handled yourself well out there in the corridor."

"Too freaked out to really think about it, just acted." Olivia gave a small laugh of embarrassment.

"But," Sam countered, "you did it. I didn't peg you as the type to freeze up, which is why I took the chance."

'I guess I should be flattered."

With the smile Sam flashed her, she found she was.

*

The jaffa that had run from the bridge stood in the corridor, scanning down the hall with his staff ready. Teal'c came around from behind, mentally chastising the jaffa's poor training. He took position in a vulnerable area and paid no attention to the other directions. Clearly Onaman wasn't favored with prime warriors by Bastet.

Teal'c was silent, breaking the jaffa's neck before he even knew he was under attack. Jack and Daniel came down the hall where the jaffa had been facing.

"One down," Jack said.

"The engine room is near, O'Neill." Teal'c pointed down the corridor.

Teal'c led, moving soundlessly down the hall. They met no resistance until he peered down the bend to the engine room, and saw two jaffa.

"Kree!" One of them shouted, and staff blasts shot out as Teal'c tucked back behind the wall.

They kept firing until Onaman shouted from inside the room. "Jaffa!" When their weapons went silent, he spoke again. "I am impressed by your resourcefulness, Colonel O'Neill. However, I am no longer amused."

Jack shouted back. "Come on, we're just getting started!"

"You would do well to surrender now. The longer you test me, the more you shall pay for it."

"You guys REALLY need some new lines!"

Jack punctuated his annoyance by a shot from his weapon. The jaffa tucked deeper behind their cover, then returned fire. Blasts chipped away at the bulkheads, leaving black pockmarks. Energy from Daniel's zat spidered along the walls until it dissipated. The air around them echoed with the reports of all the weapons.

They needed another point of attack. Teal'c drew back, and when Jack turned to look at him questioningly, he signaled his intention. The Colonel nodded, and Teal'c took off in the other direction. He traversed the winding corridors to the other side of the engine room.

Teal'c took a quick glance around the corner. As he suspected, the jaffa were completely focused on Jack and Daniel. One jaffa was completely exposed to him, firing indiscriminately in the other direction. Teal'c fired several shots, hitting the jaffa with two. The jaffa fell forward into the hall, dead.

Panicked, the other jaffa turned to fire at Teal'c, exposing himself from the opposite side. Teal'c watched as several staff blasts and zat charges took him out. The sudden silence rang in Teal'c's ears.

All three of them approached the threshold cautiously. Onaman stood in the middle of the room, his thick face creased in anger. He raised his ribbon device and shot a wave at the door, screaming as he did so. They tucked back, startled by the reverberating THWACK as the wave crashed against the wall behind them. It echoed for several seconds.

"Somebody's not a happy camper," Jack said in low tones. Rather than replying, Teal'c simply raised his brow in agreement. Then he spoke up for Onaman's benefit. "We'll take your surrender now!"

"I will kill you all!"

"Ony, baby, I thought you needed us alive?"

"Not anymore. I'll simply sell my services elsewhere, instead of returning to Bastet."

Jack nodded at Teal'c. Together, they rounded the corner and fired at Onaman. It wasn't a surprise when his personal shield absorbed the energy, but it was worth trying. They ducked back to safety before he could retaliate.

Another wave rippled through the air, punctuating their attempt with the same heavy slap.

Jack got Teal'c's attention, nodding to the body of the jaffa at his feet, focusing on the knife on his belt. "Pull off another Heru'ur?"

Teal'c unsheathed the blade, nodding. Slower moving objects would pass through the shield unhindered, as Jack had once realized. Heru'ur had his hand device destroyed and tacked to his hand by Jack's knife. The Colonel planned a similar assault against Onaman.

"Time for a diversion."

Jack burst into the room. He circled around, and Onaman watched him with amusement. "What is this?"

Jack just smiled, and hurled the staff weapon like a javelin. The Goa'uld's eyes widened, and he twisted to avoid the missile. In doing so, he presented his back to Teal'c. Taking his opening, he launched the barbed knife at the large target.

It cleaved in between his shoulder blades, sinking all the way to the hilt. Onaman gave a startled cry, falling to his knees.

"Game over," Jack said.

Teal'c watched Onaman slowly turn his head to Jack. A trickle of blood had already started down the corner of his mouth. "Not hardly."

Onaman raised his hand at the large device that took up a quarter of the room. Teal'c wasn't sure what it was, but by its size figured it drew a lot of power. Energy seethed from the ribbon device, pumping into the object. The deep hum that had filled the engine room started to grow louder, increasing in pitch.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c shouted. The older man wasted no time in rushing out of the room. All three of them rushed down the hall, ducking behind the corner.

The explosion shook everything around. Heat hit them like a physical force, pushing them further down. Even before the sound died down, another smaller explosion heralded a shower of sparks raining out of the doorway. The lights cut out, and all sounds from the engine room, save the occasional shower of sparks, ceased.

Emergency lighting flicked on, bathing them in a subtle red. Daniel stood up, brushing himself off. "This isn't good."


	21. Chapter 21

Sam shot up as the low hum of power died, all lights fading out with it.

"What the hell?" Olivia said. Everything was dark for several seconds before the emergency lights kicked in.

Sam looked over towards the controls. The crystals were all dim, there was no power running to them. "The power's been cut."

Ignoring her head, Sam went over to the controls. She pressed the main crystal, trying to initiate a system restart, but nothing happened. The panel was completely dead. She kneeled in front of the controls, prying loose the panel. With the dim light and her already impaired vision there wasn't much to see.

"Can you fix it?"

Sam pulled out one of the circuit crystals, and didn't notice any damage. "The problem isn't here. The systems must have been disabled from the engine room."

And as far as Sam could tell, every system was down. So they were floating dead in space with no life support. Air wouldn't be an immediate concern, unless the damage was severe. She was pretty certain there was damage, no way with their luck that the bad guys simply flicked a switch and shut everything off. As long as there were no fires, they'd freeze to death long before they suffocated.

Olivia was staring at her, clearly fighting panic. "It's bad, isn't it? You have that look."

"Well, it's definitely not good. We need to get out of here and find out what happened."

Sam walked over to the door, trying the panel. It wasn't surprising that it was as dead as everything else. She'd hoped that there was a tiny bit of juice left.

"If we have the lights, shouldn't the doors work too?" Olivia asked. The woman was smart. Of course on a ship doors would be as vital a system as lights, and both worked off the emergency power.

Assuming one didn't remove it from the circuit. "When the emergency battery activates, all sealed doors are opened. Unless, of course, they were disabled, and thus pulled from the grid."

"Oh."

"Big oh."

"Can you put it back on emergency power somehow?"

Sam shook her head. "Not without a blow torch. I'd need to get inside the wall and reconnect it physically."

She needed to find a power source she could wire into the door. A naquadah reactor would be nice. Overkill, but nice. That device Jack built while the Ancient's repository was downloaded into his brain would work, too.

"Of course!" Sam nearly kicked herself. She went back to the controls, rifling through the open panel.

Olivia came to kneel beside her. "What is it?"

She reached in to undo one of the auxiliary power lines, wouldn't do to disable the whole console when they did manage to get things running again, and her voice came out in strained huffs. "With any luck I can splice the zat into the control panel, use its power source to open the door."

Sam pulled out the line and studied it in the light, making sure it was intact. If it was compromised she could get a nasty jolt, lethal. It was solid. "I'll have to take apart the gun, and that will leave us with nothing."

Olivia followed her logic. "Isn't doing us much good locked in here."

"No." Sam agreed.

She twisted the handle of the gun, removing the casing. The power cell was a dim blue, glowing from within the dozens of filaments disappearing further into the gun. The filaments attached at the base of the power cell. With the edge of the handle casing, Sam popped out the cell, catching it in her other hand. It was shaped a lot like a narrow light bulb.

Now that she wasn't going to shock herself, Sam snapped most of the filaments, they weren't made to be disconnected. Full power would fry the door rather than give them enough juice to open it. At the top of the handle, she removed a plate in the circuit, and connected the line in its place.

"Hold this." Sam gave Olivia the jury-rigged gun and disconnected power cell. With her hands free, she started undoing her belt. She used the buckle to pry loose the door panel. Several small control crystals reflected the dim light. Sam started to pull out the crystals, digging for the power lines, when she heard the muted thump of hurried footsteps outside.

"Carter, you in there?" Jack yelled through the door, the words almost muffled to obscurity.

"Yes, sir. Are you guys ok?"

"We're all here. Can you get out?"

"I was just about to try something. We'll talk after."

"Right."

After a few minutes she had the gun rigged into the door. Now she just had to see if it worked.

"Ok." Sam replaced the power cell back into the zat, closing it back up except for the line running out of the handle. She gave it back to Olivia. "Squeeze the firing plate and hold it."

Olivia did as she was told, and the crystals inside the panel began to glow. They grinned widely at each other, then Sam keyed in the code.

The three men on the other side were far less ecstatic.

"We've got a problem," Jack said.

Sam's smile faded. Of course they did...


	22. Chapter 22

Elliot sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on the paperwork he needed to fill out. Cragen had offered him time off, but keeping busy was the only thing stopping him from exploding. He was trying hard not to think about the current situation. There really wasn't anything he could do even if he wanted. The Air Force took everything they currently had, and he had no idea where else to look.

He just had to hope they found Olivia before it was too late.

*

Sam stood in the doorway of the engine room just staring at the damage. Jack had said something about charcoal briquettes when describing it, and Daniel had gone with the simple "toast." Whichever description she decided to go with, they had certainly done anything but exaggerate.

She didn't know what to do, so she just sighed.

There were hardly any signs left of the staff blasts. The explosion had scored the walls and shrapnel from the large device, much less impressive when in pieces, stuck in the walls and ceiling. The drawers holding the various control crystals smoked lightly, and the air was thick with the smell of burned out circuitry.

"Can you fix it?" Daniel asked from beside her.

Sam's gave one hard laugh. "I'll be lucky if any of this is salvageable. And no way there are replacement crystals for all of these."

Jack wasn't impressed. "Ok. What do you need?"

"Well, better light would go along way."

Teal'c bowed out to look for supplies, and Sam began to open up the vertical drawers of crystals. Each time she was greeted by a puff of smoke that was trapped in the compartment, and crystals and various states of destruction. A couple were slightly warped, but most were deeply cracked or completely shattered.

"Idiots." Sam mumbled under her breath.

"Um, who?" Jack sounded worried the comment was directed at him. She may have come a ways in her adherence to formalities, Sam wasn't yet at the point where she would insult him. At least not without adding a contrite "sir" at the end.

She absently flicked an arm at the destroyed machine, and continued tugging frames out of drawers as she spoke, revealing the extent of the damage. "Whoever plugged in that thing, which I'd guess is the cloak, did a real shoddy job. No fuses, inadequate grounding. When it overloaded, the energy just flooded through all the systems and fried everything."

Teal'c returned several minutes later with a lantern device. The extra light made all the damage that much clearer, and Sam felt that much worse. A couple crystals she thought might have been salvageable were scorched. With a deep breath, she started in on the environmentals.

Olivia held the light for her while the others searched the ship for various supplies. The lingering smoke in the air tickled Sam's throat, providing tangible proof that the air wasn't recycling. How much of the chill she felt was just her mind projecting, she couldn't say.

Maybe, maybe she could bypass some of the crystals. They ran in a sequence down the frame she held. Replacing them all would just mean that fewer crystals to try to repair the other systems. Many were merely for efficiency's sake, and she hardly cared if they hogged a little more power than they technically needed. She just needed to keep enough control crystals to prevent it from overloading.

Jack returned with a handful of crystals. "This was all I could find. Getting a bit nippy in here, isn't it?"

She really didn't want to think about it, so Sam merely made a sound of agreement as she sorted through the backup crystals. Her mind was focused on which of the damaged crystals still had enough integrity to carry the load.

It took over two hours to get the frame rewired around the new crystal configuration. Everyone was shaking from the cold. Teal'c had brought some of the food supply for the jaffa, but they weren't very big on blankets or extra clothing. Sam ignored the food, but took a long draught of the water Jack shoved in front of her. Though he was silent, Sam knew an order when she saw one.

The environmental pane was as complete as she could get it. "Here goes," Sam said with less than complete confidence. She plugged the frame back into the drawer and restored the energy flow.

A low hum started, slowly gaining in strength. The main lights brightened in tandem with it. It threatened to die a few times, but finally hit max and remained strong and steady. Sam could almost faint with relief.

"Way to go, Carter."

She barely acknowledged Jack's exclamation, reaching down into the pile of crystals. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Rest first. Have a bite to eat. Bunks are that way."

"Sir, I have to..."

"Ah ah!" Jack raised a finger as he interrupted. "You've got life support back up, right?" At her nod, he continued. "Then it can wait till you've bedded down for a few. This bread stuff isn't half bad."

He handed her one of the flat loaves. Olivia had a hand around her waist before she could protest further.

"I'll make sure she gets there."

*

Olivia peered into the next room, finally finding the bunks Jack had mentioned. They were stacked two high, and pressed together to create narrow aisles in between. It was very basic, but did its job.

Sam hadn't said a word the entire time. She was dead on her feet, but Olivia got the distinct impression her mind was still working.

Olivia sat Sam down on the nearest bunk, and took a seat beside her. She grabbed the bread Sam was still holding and tore herself off a piece. When she handed the rest back, Sam barely paid attention. Olivia took a bite from her piece, and had never thought bland tasted so heavenly. Her stomach cried out for more.

"You really should eat something." Olivia spoke around the food.

"Oh, yeah," Sam said, seeming to snap out of whatever world her mind had been in. The first bite was placating, but it made her realize how hungry she really was. Olivia smirked as the loaf quickly disappeared between the two of them.

She started to feel nervous sitting there, like a school girl. And it was completely ridiculous. There was a time and place for things, and this was neither.

Olivia would have been completely embarrassed, except she noticed Sam was paying no attention to her. The woman was staring at the wall with her brow knitted in concentration. She was muttering about crystals and reconfiguration and charges. Olivia didn't even try to follow it.

She sighed. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"I have enough materials to fully patch up one system, and I have to figure out how to split it between three." She turned to Olivia with a frown. "Just can't stop thinking about how to fit it all together."

They were facing each other, mere inches apart. Olivia didn't think when she leaned forward, capturing Sam's lips with her own. She didn't even realize what she was doing until it happened, and then figured it was too late to turn back anyway. Sam stiffened in shock, but didn't pull away.

In fact, after a few moments she reciprocated.

And Olivia finally realized what she was doing.

She pulled away, her face turning bright red. "That... That was..."

Sam looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Unexpected."

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me." Olivia stood, anxiety forcing her to move. This definitely fit in her top ten list of stupid things she'd done.

"Um, yeah, no, no, it was just... surprising." Sam looked just as frazzled as she was, so at least she wasn't alone in that.

Olivia needed to get out of there immediately. She spoke quickly then took off through the door. "You should get some sleep."

If nothing else, Olivia mused, she could be fairly certain Sam's mind wasn't on the repairs anymore.


	23. Chapter 23

When Sam came back from the bunks, it took the better part of the day to finish repairs on the propulsion and navigation systems. Daniel had stood there watching her solder the wiring in the crystal frames into completely different configurations. He was amazed they had found a soldering iron on the ship, though really it shouldn't come as a surprise. Did he expect the Goa'uld to make repairs with their bare hands?

Taking one final glance at the frames as she slid them back into place, Daniel realized they couldn't have looked more hacked together if she had used duct tape and paperclips to make the repairs.

He was pretty amazed when they didn't explode immediately. They certainly looked nothing like they had when Sam had started. It held, but wasn't at one hundred percent. Sam made a point to say so.

"Running the hyperdrive or sublight engines at full will fry these circuits before we so much as move. They might be able to take forty percent power, but definitely no more than that."

"I'm confident," Jack said. His tone suggested he was trying to convince himself of his confidence.

"Me, too," Daniel agreed, with similar feelings. As much as he trusted Sam, he knew she could only do so much with what she had to work with.

"As am I." Teal'c gave no indication of his doubts.

Olivia simply looked at them with skepticism.

When they got up to the bridge to test it out, they started slow. Teal'c took the controls, dialing up the sublight to twenty percent. Best to start off easy. The ship gave a small shudder and started moving. Things seemed to be holding.

"So far so good," Jack said.

They didn't blow up at thirty percent, either. And held at the imposed threshold of forty percent. Daniel would wait to be relieved until the hyperdrive proved equally sound. Sam suggested they run it at thirty, just to be safe. He certainly would rather limp back to Earth than not get there at all.

The hyperspace window opened, and the ship entered. Daniel didn't immediately notice he had been holding his breath, and when he started breathing again realized the others had done the same.

"We're still alive?" Daniel couldn't hide his surprise.

"Where's your faith, Danny?" Jack said. Daniel fixed him with a frown, knowing the older man had had similar misgivings.

"I had faith. It was just tempered with a healthy understanding of my own mortality."

"Right."

Sam spoke up, defending Daniel. "Actually, I'm as surprised as Daniel that it worked."

They both stared at her as though she was telling a child that Santa Clause wasn't real after all. She took a step back, smiling apologetically.

"How long is it going to take to get back?" Olivia looked at them as she spoke.

Sam appeared thoughtful, checking the readouts. "Around four and a half days at this speed."

They had been in flight for close to two when they had managed to take over the ship. It was a long time to wait, especially unable to send a message back to Earth ahead of them. There simply weren't enough parts left to restore communication, at least nothing long-ranged.

"So I guess there's nothing left to do but wait." Jack looked bored, and Daniel inwardly cringed. The man could be insufferable.

It was going to be a long flight.

*

When Elliot was tossed on his ass from the makeshift command center, almost literally, he knew they were cutting him a lot of slack. This situation was a big deal to the Air Force, otherwise they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of taking it all over. If they wanted, he knew they could find a way to lock him up and get him out of their hair.

He probably owed his current freedom to the General.

As time passed it became harder to stand back and let other people take care of the situation. It had been almost three days now and there was no word. Chance of survival decreased with each hour someone was missing, and this was certainly no ordinary kidnapping case. He didn't want to think about that, about the possibility she could already be dead. But he had been on the job too long to ignore the idea completely.

Olivia was a staple in his life, something he could depend on. Even when she had transferred off the unit, and went undercover for the FBI, she had returned. He was like a sister, as much family as any flesh and blood. And she was tough. So she'd come back this time just like she had every other time she left.

She would.

*

Olivia followed Sam down the corridor. Sam had said they needed to talk, and that was for sure. She would probably tell Olivia that she had been completely out of line, that she didn't share the interest in any way. Olivia had caught her off guard, and just because she responded didn't mean anything.

Hell, Olivia may have imagined that part completely. At least, with any luck, Sam would let her down gently.

As soon as she entered the room, Olivia found herself pressed up against the bulkhead. Her eyes were wide, and she had just started to speak when she found herself on the receiving end of the kiss this time. It lasted slightly longer than the first one, and Olivia was far too surprised to react. When Sam finally pulled back, her mind could only form one thought.

Oh.

Sam's coy smile pulled a pleased one from Olivia. "Ok. Now that we're even, we can talk."

And she'd love to, if she could form a coherent sentence. All Olivia could do at the moment was grin like an idiot. This wasn't what she was expecting, and she couldn't have been happier. She really should say something.

"So, I guess you're not mad about earlier?"

"No. Like I said, it was a surprise. A pleasant one."

Olivia swallowed, just realizing she was still against the wall and Sam wasn't standing very far away. "And here I worried it was all one sided."

"I was serious about needing to talk." Sam's face lost the smile to prove her point. "This is a very unique situation, after all."

A fact that she had managed to forget for a short time. Olivia nodded. "And you're worried that I'm acting out of some adrenaline-filled relief to be alive?"

"It crossed my mind." Sam's face softened. "And I wouldn't want to think I might be taking advantage of you in a vulnerable state."

Because Sam looked so concerned, she paused to think about it seriously. Nervous energy had certainly pushed her along, but it hadn't planted the idea.

"I noticed you long before I was in fear of my life. Hell, I felt something while I was mad at you for butting in on the case." And boy did that feel like a lifetime ago. "I think the situation just fast-forwarded through a bunch of anxious sidestepping."

"Maybe." Sam conceded. "Maybe it did."


	24. Chapter 24

They moved to the far corner of the bunkroom, placing the long lines of pallets between them and the door. Sam sat against the wall with Olivia's head in her lap; the other woman had pointed out they really weren't quite even yet. While she knew that the others wouldn't disapprove of who she might be attracted to, she also knew that Jack would torment her to no end. All good-natured, of course, but the man always liked to press buttons, cause reactions.

And she knew Daniel and Teal'c would join in.

She pushed it out of her mind as she and Olivia talked. Getting to know each other beyond the superficial clues they had garnered in their short time together. About family, though Olivia had very little to say on that matter. Her mother had died a few years ago, she never knew her father, and she recently learned that she had a half brother living in Philadelphia. Sam had responded with her own situation: her mother had died when she was a teen, and she hadn't had much of a relationship with her father or brother until about four years ago.

Sam restrained from talking any more about the specifics of her job, since her superiors wouldn't approve of her revealing things that Olivia didn't need to know about. She sensed Olivia spoke about her family with similar guarded lines.

She learned that Olivia had the same familial bond with some of the detectives in her precinct as Sam did with her team. Hammond and Cragen were both firm when they wanted, and exceedingly fair. In many ways there wasn't much difference between their lives. They were both caught up in their careers as to all but ignore relationships with people outside of work.

She could hardly remember when she hadn't been involved with an alien. Or, at least, almost involved. Another fact she thought better than to voice.

"You know," Sam said as the realization dawned on her, "it probably isn't the smartest idea for us to get to know each other too well."

"Why?" Olivia stared up in confusion from her lap. And damn it if she didn't find it cute.

"Because, the more we know each other, the more we probably will like each other."

Olivia rolled her eyes up as though in deep thought, for all of a second. "Still not seeing the problem."

Sam sighed. "If this started going anywhere, how the hell would we go about pursuing it?"

"I assume you had the birds and the bees lecture at some point?" Sam eyed Olivia, and she quickly got serious. "The long distance thing would make a serious strain, wouldn't it?"

"Not to mention we both have such stable hours."

"Well, we could always go for a roll in the hay and call it good enough."

Sam smiled wryly. "I'm not really one to go all the way from first base to home in one go. Plus, I'm not really after a fling." Hadn't she outgrown such things?

"Yeah, me neither."

"I'm not trying to push whatever this is or isn't along into something. I just know I'm already feeling something. And to get invested into it and have things fall apart because we can't find time for each other... I don't want to go through that." God, maybe she was pushing. Certainly it was too soon for such thoughts. But then again when they got back to Earth they'd have to go back to their jobs. There wouldn't be an overabundance of time to settle things before hand.

Olivia gave her a comforting look. "That would definitely suck. But I'd like to see how far this gets."

"Maybe by the time we get back one of us will realize this was all a mistake, and be done with it."

"Possibly, but I don't think so."

Sam had Olivia's previous sentiment. "Yeah, me neither."

*

Teal'c followed Jack on his quest to construct a makeshift yo-yo. He had found a couple extra over shirts in one of the supply rooms and considered the rough hemp that laced up the front to be adequate for his purposes. Now he hunted through the ship for materials he could use to fashion the spool.

Teal'c observed for lack of anything better to do.

After passing several areas with nothing of value, at least for their present purposes, they finally hit pay dirt. Jack quickly entered the room where sheathes of metal were stacked, and various odds and ends were strewn about. Supplies to repair hull breaches, or fix up various parts of the ship. He skimmed through to the supply of various buttons. Rectangular ones for the door panels, and a few circular ones for the main control panel on the bridge. An inch or two larger than preferable, but the shape was perfect.

"Sweet," Jack crooned.

He found a narrow pipe he could fit in between, using the device Sam had used to solder the panels in the engine room. The power could be increased to make an effective welding torch.

The finished product wasn't much to look at, and Teal'c found himself raising an eyebrow when it proved to be at least marginally effective.

Jack continued spinning his new toy, his words coming offhandedly. "Something's up with Carter."

"How do you mean, O'Neill?"

"You saw her and Benson together." Jack's expression said "didn't you notice?"

Teal'c had noticed, but it wasn't their business to debate it. He didn't respond.

"Come on, T. They both looked... flustered, yeah that's the word."

"Major Carter would not appreciate hearing you contemplate her personal business."

"Ah!" Jack exclaimed. "So you think something's going on there, too."

"It does not concern us."

"I'm not concerned, merely interested."

Teal'c raised a brow. It was a vague warning he knew Jack would not heed. Jack had the idea in his mind, and he would not let it go until the bone had been worried through. What made him a good leader could also make him a pain in the mikta.

Now as Teal'c wound his way back to the bridge, it was Jack that was following him. Twirling his yo-yo, supposing what Sam and Olivia may or may not have done. May or may not be doing. And while Teal'c believed the man probably wasn't too far off, he dignified none of it with a response. Even as he sat on the floor in front of the view port, Jack continued to talk.

His eyes closed, determined to enter kel'no'reem, at least as deeply as he could without a symbiote. He wasn't tired yet, and if Sam and Olivia were doing any of the things Jack guessed they were, he didn't want to disturb them.

Luckily Daniel was also there. Realizing he was being ignored, Jack turned his attention to the other man. Daniel made some noise about it being "highly inappropriate," but after his protest joined fully into the hypotheticals Jack was spouting.

Teal'c shook his head wryly in the barest of movements.


	25. Chapter 25

At some point they had decided to get some sleep. On separate beds that were neither too close nor to far away, so as not to arouse suspicion. When Sam had talked about how her teammates would likely tease her to no end, Olivia had laughed. Not because she was unsympathetic, but because she could see Elliot, Munch, and Fin giving her similar trouble.

Because they were close like family, which made it kind of touching, but still a whole heap of grief.

Olivia found herself wondering what would happen when they returned. Not so much what would or wouldn't happen between her and Sam, she had plenty of time to obsess over that later, but simply what would happen to her because of all this. She had mentioned it to Sam. On the practical side she'd have to sign confidentiality agreements, get prodded by some military doctors to make sure she was in one piece, and be debriefed by the General.

Elliot would insist on answers. And he would be angry when she couldn't give him any. Nothing satisfactory anyway. There'd be some sort of cover story to explain their disappearance, but he wouldn't go for it. He was too smart, and would read it in her eyes in half a second. They'd known each other too long to try and kid herself otherwise. He'd get over it, eventually.

The others wouldn't press, but they'd know too. Everyone would know it was a bald-faced lie. Everyone that mattered, at least. Even if she were allowed to tell them, they'd never believe her anyway.

_By the way, guys, I was abducted by an alien who wanted to fly me across the galaxy to his evil den._ Yeah, that would go over well. It might even be worth it, too, just to see Munch's reaction. Such things were right up his alley. He was their resident cynic/conspiracy theorist, after all.

While she was calm now, lying in an alien bunk on an alien ship, she knew at some point it would change. Really hit her, not holding anything back like it currently was. Perhaps it was the fact that she was still on the ship, and there was the distinct possibility that something would screw up and they'd never actually make it back that kept it from hitting. That allowed her to lie on the bed as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

Sure it wasn't much different from the cribs in the bare-bones efficiency of the setup, but it was a completely different animal. She wasn't freaking out, not yet. She was just tired.

*

Sam stood in the engine room, double checking her handiwork. Everything seemed in order, at least as in order as she had managed to make things. It was holding together, and in less than a day they'd be back on terra firma. Satisfied, she turned to leave the scorched compartment.

Jack stood in the hallway, brandishing his yo-yo. It didn't whir as smoothly as his real one back on base. On his patchwork piece the rough string scraped against the small post. The balance was off enough to have it wobble slightly in the air. She was less impressed with the quirky smile he gave her while he continued spinning his new joy.

She knew whatever was on his mind would be something she didn't want to hear. "Sir?"

"Hey, Carter. How's things?"

"Fine." Sam replied knowing he was going somewhere. Likely knew where he was going, too, and wondered how the hell he could sniff something up so quickly.

At least she hadn't been lying when she said she was fine. Her head only ached dully, and her vision was pretty much back to normal.

He nodded. "Good. You and the detective getting along ok?"

"Is there any reason we shouldn't, sir?" Sam crossed her arms. Anger and frustration were two of the surest ways to get her to revert back to peppering "sir" into every other sentence. When she was in a good mood she might go nearly a whole paragraph without it.

Something Jack considered a small miracle. He had tried his best to cure her of her "techno babble" too, but found that to be a feat vastly outside of his powers.

"Of course not, Major," he replied. He gave her a sly wink. "In fact, you two seem quite chummy."

She wasn't going to give him an inch. "We get along just fine, sir."

"Carter and Benson sitting in a tree," Jack sing-songed.

"Colonel!" Sam's face went red. He hadn't seen, she was sure of it. Well, she was pretty sure. Jack was just being his usual pain.

"Oh, you did!" His face brightened. "How was it? Did stars collide?"

Both times were tentative, but she had had no complaints. She just stared at him.

"Come on, how often to I get to rib you about your personal life, save for the fact you don't have one?"

"Point taken. However I'm still going to tell you to shut up."

"Fair enough. I'm not going to, though."

Of course he wasn't. "Fair enough."

*

The Prometheus hung in space, nestled behind the moon to protect it from casual stargazers. Earth's first space cruiser. Colonel Lionel Pendergast sat in his command chair as the crew worked. Ever since SG-1 had gone missing, they had been on heightened alert. There was no way to be sure the abduction wasn't a prelude to some kind of attack.

So they had filled in the usual skeleton crews that kept the ship running, and were performing full sensor sweeps.

It had been a week with no word on their location. According to Tok'ra spies, they had not arrived in Bastet's domain. In fact the System Lord seemed very unhappy about that fact. But it did nothing to tell them what had happened to the team.

He heard the trill from the sensor station, followed by the lieutenant manning it. "Sir, an object has entered our sensor horizon."

Pendergast ordered everyone to ready stations. "Has the object been identified?"

"It's slowing, sir. Definitely a ship. Judging by the profile, it's an Al'kesh."

"Move to intercept, give me a channel."

"We're broadcasting, Colonel," communications replied.

"This is Colonel Pendergast of the Earth vessel Prometheus. Cease your advance now and power down your weapons."

The ship stopped immediately.

The sensor officer turned to him. "Sir, weapons are not active. The ship doesn't even have shields powered. In fact, only key systems appear to be online, and at reduced power."

So it was damaged, Pendergast deduced, and pretty severely. "Are we getting a response?"

It took a moment for the communications to respond. "I'm picking something up. The gain is pretty low. Attempting to correct and amplify the signal. Audio only."

He nodded for the man to play the message. After the filters there was significant static, but it was intelligible. "This is Colonel Jack O'Neill of SG-1. Our ship is under friendly control and no threat."

"Colonel O'Neill," Pendergast greeted, "I didn't expect to hear your voice."

"I get that a lot. Permission to come aboard?"

Pendergast smiled, though the action was lost to the other. "Permission granted. We'll ring a team over to secure your ship and escort you back."


	26. Chapter 26

Olivia was shuttled down to Earth with the others on a trio of X-302s. Jack, Teal'c, and Sam piloted while Olivia and Daniel sat in the second seats. It was far different than flying in a commercial airplane, and Olivia gripped her seat with white knuckles all the way to the ground.

When the landing crew helped her out of the ship, she tried to hide her trembling limbs.

"Have fun?" Sam asked playfully.

Her stomach had tied itself into knots on the short flight. "Sure."

By the time they had driven the distance from the airfield to Cheyenne Mountain, her shaking had ceased. She eyed the concrete facility with fascination as they descended into its bowels. Olivia didn't like the idea that they were inside a mountain, going ever deeper. So deep they had to switch elevators to keep going down. Just what would it take to have the whole complex crushed under all that weight? She had never considered herself claustrophobic, but it was hard not to feel a little nervous.

The walls were gray, and each room they passed looked like the room before it, with only slightly different equipment to distinguish. Colored lines ran along the floor, but Olivia doubted they would have been enough to keep her from getting lost. The others paid no attention, walking down corridors they had traversed thousands of times before.

When they reached the infirmary, she found it to be as uncomfortable as any hospital she had entered. It boasted the same sterile smell, and the same ubiquitous white sheets on the beds. A nurse led her to one of the beds and curtained it off for the illusion of privacy.

The nurse smiled warmly, and proceeded to take her blood pressure and other various vitals. She left and was replaced by a short woman with fiery red hair.

"I'm Doctor Janet Fraiser."

"Olivia Benson." She offered the woman a small smile. She seemed friendly enough.

"How are you doing with all this? Must be a lot to sink in." Janet felt around Olivia's neck through latex gloves. She didn't even bother to speculate what the doctor was looking for.

"Yeah, I guess it is. I'm ok." And because Janet actually sounded interested, she felt her anxiety easing.

"That's good to hear. We do have psychiatrists with top clearance, if you ever decide you might want some counseling."

Olivia nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Janet's smirk told Olivia that she knew there was no intention on her part to follow through. She began to prepare some needles to draw blood. "Sam told me that you took a sustained session with a ribbon device."

"I'm guessing that's that hand thing?" At Janet's nod, she frowned. That was definitely something she'd like to forget. "Yeah."

"Any lingering side-effects? Headaches, dizziness?"

The needle went into her arm with practiced skill, and Olivia shook her head as the vial was attached and filled. "No, nothing."

"Ok. We'll get you an MRI then you'll be all set."

She smiled a thanks at the doctor. Soon she'd have to go in front of the general and give her account of what had happened. Something else she wasn't really looking forward to.

*

Elliot slept in the cribs, facing the wall. If he went home it would just mean an argument with Kathy. She would be worried about his wellbeing, and he wouldn't be in the mood to reassure her. Kathy knew about Olivia being missing, so she had largely left him alone. Cragen had ordered him to go bunk after giving a disapproving frown to the grime on his shirt and the bags under his eyes.

An entire week had passed with absolutely no word, so he thought it wasn't that damn surprising if he wasn't exactly in peak form.

It was getting difficult to push back the certainty that she was dead. There was nothing but his own hopes and knowledge of her tenacity to suggest otherwise. But being stubborn could only get a person so far. She was capable, but no superhero.

When the door creaked open, he paid no attention. Elliot expected it was just some overworked detective looking to bed down for a few while waiting for some piece of evidence to process. The mattress opposite to him creaked, and he was irritated that in an entire room of beds that this person would edge in on his privacy.

"Cragen was right, you do look like shit."

He blinked at the voice, not sure what to make of it. Elliot turned around, wondering if he was finally losing it. And when Olivia smiled at him from the opposite bunk, he couldn't be certain he wasn't. "Liv?"

"Forget me so soon?" She feigned hurt.

He sat up and grabbed her shoulders, finding them solid. In the same motion he stood, pulling her up into a tight hug. He tried to remember how to form words. "You're here? You're ok?"

"Not for long if you don't let up," Olivia grunted against his shoulder.

They weren't much for physical contact in their relationship, it just wasn't how they worked.

Elliot pulled back, but he didn't let go of her. "This isn't funny."

"I know. I'm ok, El."

She looked ok. Clean clothes, no obvious signs of injury. In all his imaginings of actually finding her alive, unscathed had never been a likely scenario. "What happened?"

"Got jumped down there, knocked out. We were held in a warehouse until they found us. I've been stuck giving reports and getting checked out until now." Her face showed that only the last part was truth. They worked together long enough for him to recognize that crease between her eyes that told him she was saying something she didn't feel comfortable saying. Just as she recognized his look of disbelief. "It's the best I can tell you."

He frowned. A lot had happened, he could tell by her face. He didn't want to let it go, but he would for now. "Ok."

Olivia smiled in appreciation. She sighed the way she would after a long shift. "I don't know about you, but I could use a drink."

"I'll go see if Munch and Fin want to join us."

They both smiled as they walked out of the bullpen.

_A/N: I'm writing up a little epilogue for this, a lot of fluff. It just doesn't feel like it would fit in tacked onto the story itself. As I said, would love to hear what you thought._


End file.
